


Is There Anyone Out There?

by Lady_of_Winterhell



Category: The Mentalist
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:21:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 66,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26543602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_of_Winterhell/pseuds/Lady_of_Winterhell
Summary: AU where Patrick Jane is going through a divorce and meets Teresa Lisbon at a bar. It's possible that some fun is had. Inspired by Maroon 5's "Harder to Breathe." The chapters will all have a Maroon 5 song as a theme/title. Rating for cursing, sexually suggestive language, and smut.
Relationships: Patrick Jane/Teresa Lisbon, Wayne Rigsby/Grace Van Pelt
Comments: 47
Kudos: 93





	1. Harder to Breathe

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MissFlashBrightside](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissFlashBrightside/gifts).



> MissFlashBrightside reminded us all that there’s an entire Maroon 5 album called Songs about Jane. Why are we wasting that opportunity? Well, it’s her birthday, so I’m making the most of it with this Jisbon fic set to my fave Maroon 5 song of all time, Harder to Breathe. Happy birthday!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Started as a one shot, but it's not anymore, so please enjoy!

For the fourth night this week, he ended up at the same hole in the wall that he’d been visiting for the last four months. Four months since Angela decided that she no longer wanted everything they built. Well, maybe longer than that. She’d been banging her yoga instructor for quite some time before she finally had the courage to admit it--when he walked in on them in his bed. 

Not that he didn’t want her to be happy. They’d met as kids looking for a way out of the carnival life. It was impractical for their relationship to last once they’d grown in different directions. It didn’t lessen the hurt of losing the only person in the world he’d ever counted on and loved. Now, he had absolutely nothing. Of course, he had lots of things and money, but he had no one. The fight over of the assets--the things--only made it worse because he could keep it all and still have nothing worth value.

Some days, he didn’t want to get out of bed. The first month had been the worst. Learning the love of your life thought you were a whole host of things that made them miserable was a lot to take in. He sought therapy, but the weight in his chest still sat there. His therapist told him he was experiencing anxiety and depression. Every day was a little more of the same boring, meaningless existence, and he was lonely. So lonely. He felt there were days where absolutely no one in the world saw him. At least being in this shithole gave him a brief reprieve from the loneliness. There were always people to watch here.

On his third, maybe fourth, drink, he noticed the spicy looking brunette at the pool tables. She had just cleaned the clock of the second guy to play her tonight. Pool seemed to be her thing because he’d noticed her in here from time to time. She was a very noticeable woman. He’d never forget the way those green eyes shined under the dim light of the bar. 

In tight fitting jeans that were barely decent, lying just below her hips, and a low-cut black tank top, her long brown hair ran down her back. He noticed her run her hand through her hair to push it back out of her eyes as she counted her winnings. She was cute...and she ran a good scam. He’d give her that much. 

Another drink in, and another man duped by the pool playing siren, he figured why the hell not join the fun. In his old life, he loved a good scam. He approached her at the pool table. The closer he got to her, the more he empathized with the men who lost their money. She was incredibly beautiful. How could they resist?

“Ready for your next victim, or would you like a fair challenge?”

She tilted her head as she met his eyes. “Next victim?”

He pointed to the men standing around. “It seems you like playing men who are neither good at pool nor immune to your charms. I was thinking I could provide a challenge to you.”

“Oh? Is that right?” She practically mewled. He wasn’t sure if it was an act or not, but he was willing to take that chance.

“So what is it? $20?”

She smiled. “For you, let’s make it $50.” She placed $50 on the table. He nodded and pulled the same from his wallet. “You break.”

“No. I couldn’t. Ladies first.” She glared at him, and if looks could kill, she’d probably be well on her way to murder. 

She broke the triangle and got the game going. “Stripes!” Almost immediately, she pocketed a ball. As the other men around them watched the game intently, particularly staring at her ass in those tight fitting jeans as she leaned into her pointer, he realized that perhaps he’d made a mistake. The clothes might be for attention, but the woman was good.

About 10 minutes into the game, he decided to strike up a conversation. “So are you from around here?” He knew it was lame, but he also needed some leverage to get into her head.

“Uh-uh. You don’t get to talk to me until you beat me. That’s the rule.”

“Rules? I didn’t know there were rules.” 

As she hit yet another ball into a pocket, she replied without breaking her concentration. “There are always rules in life. This is just one of them.”

That explained why the men gathered around her or why they were so anxious for another chance. She tapped into their male pride, and they wanted a chance to talk to her. He smiled. That was truly an ingenious grift: make the man win for a chance to flirt. 

Within 20 minutes, he was $50 poorer. 

She smiled brightly. “It’s been a pleasure doing business with you.” Even though he’d lost, playing pool with this woman was the most exhilarating thing he’d done in months.

He raised his hand. “How about we make it double or nothing?”

She raised her eyebrows. “You really want to lose a hundred dollars?”

“That’s not a done deal. I could win.” She scoffed. “You’re very sure of your talents.”

“No talking unless you beat me. That’s…”

“That’s the rule. I got it.” He flagged down the waitress. “I’ll take another one of these and whatever she’s having.”

She eyed him suspiciously for a moment, almost like she was sizing him up and determining whether she should accept a drink from him. That was interesting. “I’ll take a scotch neat.”

“Ok, double or nothing.”

Once again, he let her break first. Only this time, he noticed her tells. Like when she was looking to make a pocket shot, she tucked her hair behind her ears. He used that to his advantage to reverse his luck. Within the hour, he was $50 richer.

She handed over the money as a few of the other men who had gathered clapped. “Nice game.”

“Nice to see you aren’t a very sore loser...I’m sorry, am I allowed to talk to you now? I don’t even know your name.”

She smiled. “It’s Teresa. And you may talk to me...and buy me another drink with the $50 you just took from me.” 

He returned her smile. “I’m Patrick. You wanna grab a table and share a drink with me, or do you want to keep taking their money?”

“I could stop playing pool for a few to have a drink with you. I suppose you’ve earned it.”

He motioned her away. After placing an order with the waitress, they took a seat at a vacant table nearby. “I didn’t know I was playing you for the right to talk to you.”

She laughed. “Sorry. It’s just a rule I have. A lot of guys want to play me so they can hit on me.” She shrugged as the waitress brought their round over. “I just like playing pool. It’s why I come here.”

“Admittedly, I thought that’s why you were dressed like that. It’s easier for you to take their money if they’re watching you lean into the table. You have to know they’re watching you. You’re too attentive not to know. But no. That’s not it at all.” 

“Oh no? What are you a psychic? Are you going to tell me what my deepest darkest secrets are or what my grandma wanted to tell me before she died?”

He laughed. “There’s no such thing as psychics. Believe me. I used to pretend to be one. No, I think you just like letting your hair down. It’s why you’re here and not at a cop bar.”

She choked on her sip of scotch. “Don’t say that too loud. How the hell did you know?”

“You were very comfortable being surrounded by a group of men, and you had no fear that you were never not in control of the situation. It’s a bravery of cops, if you will. I mean, you have rules that they follow. You’re probably in some position of authority where you boss men around, so you feel no shame in setting rules and expecting they will follow them or else. Also, I figured you were dressed like that to get an edge on your competitors, which could still be possible. You don’t care about the male attention because you’re used to it. It’s more about you leaning into who you are and a sense of freedom. How am I doing?”

She shook her head. “Damn. You’re good. Just please don’t say anything. I like coming here, and I don’t need people knowing. It will ruin the vibe.”

“Your secret is safe with me, but why do you come here? It’s obvious your rule about talking is to keep men from hitting on you and facing the later disappointment that they’ll tuck tail and run when they learn more about you.”

“I’m surrounded by creepy older men all day long. I don’t particularly want to see them outside of working hours. I’ve always been a fan of the tables here. But let me ask you something. Why have you mentioned how I’m dressed so many times?”

If he could blush, he would be blushing right now. She flipped the script quickly, and he hadn’t expected that. “It’s normal to notice other people.”

“Yeah, you’re partial to wearing the three piece suit. I’ve seen you here before, but you usually never leave the bar top. The vest works for you. So I noticed your clothing. I also noticed your blue eyes and golden curls. But I’m also not wearing a wedding band.” They both looked at the ring he had on his left hand. Four months and he couldn’t bear to take the damn thing off, but now it burned his hand like a hot poker. 

He grimaced. “No, you’re not. And you should think long and hard before anyone ever tries to put one on your hand. Marriage is hell. More specifically, divorce is hell.”

“Divorce? That’s the story you’re going with.”

He shrugged. “It’s the story that’s true. I’m going through a divorce. It’s why you’ve seen me here before. Better to be here surrounded by people, even if it’s with a drink in my hand, than to go sulk in a hotel room alone thinking about dividing assets or just letting myself fall from the balcony to not have to worry about any of that. In that case, she just gets everything. I don’t have to deal with it anymore.”

She placed her hand on top of his. “Don’t say that.”

“Oh come on. Don’t pity me. I go to therapy. Besides, don’t you have a bunch of questions for me?”

She shook her head. “Not if you don’t want to talk about it. I take it the divorce wasn’t a mutual decision.”

“Well, her and the yoga instructor were pretty mutual about the whole thing.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. We were two kids in shitty situations when we met. We were each other’s lifelines to a better life. I just...we were talking about having kids. Then, suddenly we weren’t. I walked in on them together, and it was just...everything about him fulfilling her needs as a person. I should’ve known nothing lasts forever.” He played with the ring on his finger.

“I don’t believe that’s true. When it’s right, it’s forever. Besides, don’t blame yourself for her wrongs.”

“I should take it off, but some of it still seems unreal. Have you ever been married?”

She shook her head. “Almost got married once, but it wasn’t right.” She tilted her head towards the pool table area. “Besides, you pretty much nailed it. Those men gathered around there would be gone if they knew about my job. It doesn’t help with dating.”

“I could see the job being a problem.”

“So what do you do?”

“Don’t laugh.”

“I won’t. Just tell me.”

“I own a car lot. We sell higher end cars. Apparently, I am a good salesman.”

“Because you used to be a psychic?” They both laughed.

“I’m just really good at knowing what people want to hear, what they need. I notice little things.”

“Then, why not listen to what you need?”

“Hmm?”

She leaned in. “Why not have a night of fun? Let your hair down. Get loose. You just told me the person plaguing you is out building some version of their best life or whatever. Why not live in the moment for just tonight? It might surprise you.”

He thought about her words for a moment before he noticed her smile. “Are you asking me out?”

“I am asking you to join me in taking these pool earnings and getting trashed. See where the night goes. Maybe we will get breakfast in the morning.” She winked at him.

“I’ve got no other plans and no real reason to say no other than to go sulk some more. So sure. But I think it’s customary for the guy to pay.”

She tilted. “I guess the guy does own a fancy car lot, so sure. So I say we pre-game here before we hit a dance club later.”

“A dance club?”

“Yeah. We’re pregaming first. It will make the dancing easier.” He laughed at that. 

A few hours later, and they were still sitting at that same table with a bunch of glasses in front of them. He kept her entertained by reading different people in the bar. She seemed rather intrigued by his skill. But then his phone rang, threatening to kill the few moments of happiness he’d found. 

“I’m sorry. I should take this. Angela?” He wasn’t sure why she was calling so late on a Friday night, but he still felt compelled to answer her call. 

“Patrick, we need to talk about our asset division.”

“Right now, Angela? I’m a little busy. Do we have to talk about assets now?” A serious mood killer.

“Well, when is a good time? Thomas and I are trying to move on with our new life together. I just don’t feel like you’re taking this seriously.” Even if he respected her wanting to move on, it still stung to hear her say it. Until recently, it was their life together. He saw Teresa’s brows furrowed as though she was about to ask a question. 

“I am taking the divorce seriously. I just don’t have time to talk about dividing up our life together right now.”

The woman on the other end of the phone sighed. “I knew you were going to do this. You can’t manipulate your way out of this situation, and I need you to…” Suddenly, she was cut off as Teresa swiped the phone from his hand.

“Hi, Angela? Yes. Patrick can’t talk right now. You see, we are drinking and probably hooking up later. So maybe don’t call him until like Sunday about this? Or don’t you have a lawyer? Maybe just have them deal with it? It’s what you’re paying them for.” With that, she hit “end call.” He couldn’t do anything but stare at her wide eyed. 

She sipped her drink. “What?”

“I’ve never seen anyone work like that.” It was incredibly hot.

She shrugged. “She was putting you in a sour mood again. The whole point was not to be in a sour mood. Besides, now, she’s going to be thinking about who you’re hooking up with tonight. She won’t be able to help herself.”

“You’re not bad at reading people yourself.”

“Part of my job.”

“So what you said about hooking up…”

A slight blush passed over her face and her chest. “Yes?”

“Is that something you’re interested in tonight?”

“I know you’re a little out of practice, but I did mention breakfast as a possibility. It was implied.”

“Do you still want to go dancing?”

“I’m not completely tied to the idea.” She smiled as she placed her hand on his thigh beneath the table. “Would you like to come over, Patrick? Should we move this to my place?”

“Since bending you over the pool table isn’t an option, I think that would be a wise decision.”

She laughed. “And here I was worried I might be taking advantage of you, but you’re wanting to bend me over objects in a public place.”

He reached in and kissed her lips. They tasted of scotch, but he didn’t mind. She kissed him back as soon as her shock cleared. He had one arm around her shoulder and the other planted firmly on the table. He fought with himself to keep it there. He may have been off the dating scene for a bit, but he doubted a woman like Teresa wanted a man groping her in a bar.

As he pulled back, he looked at her gorgeous eyes again. She was practically glowing. “You’re not taking advantage, but I am going through a divorce right now. I don’t want to take advantage of you in any way either.”

She smiled. “You’re not.” 

He pushed her hair behind her ear. “Then, let’s get another round. The night is still young.” 

And with that, they had at least two more rounds. He lost count there. Most of the rest of the night was a blur. He remembered moving to another location though he couldn’t be exactly sure. He knew there were french fries involved because she was yelling about them--not in an obnoxious way but in a way that he found cute. He also remembered that at one point, with her coaching, he took his wedding band off and threw it across some parking lot in downtown Sacramento. He couldn’t be bothered with where he’d left it. Angela didn’t seem to have the same worries.

What he did remember well was getting back to her place. True to her word, she had the cab drop them off at her house. His lips found hers almost as soon as they were inside. He was as clumsy as a teenage boy, which didn’t bode well.

“So do you want to have sex? Take your clothes off!” She asked as she stumbled into him and kissed him again. “Follow me!”

She grabbed his hand and led him to her bedroom. He smiled as she took off her tank top and jeans--he even laughed when she fell over trying to take off her jeans. He complied by taking off his own clothes as quickly as possible. Both of them in their underwear, he reached for her, missing her on the first attempt. They fell into her bed while kissing.

He pulled back, which earned him a groan. “You know, probably too drunk for sex. Both of us.”

“Mmmm yeah. I’m tired. Do you want to just sleep?”

Really, there was no need for the question. They were both asleep within minutes. He awoke the next morning to a blinding sunlight. Well, blinding because of his night of drinking. But she was still lying half on top of him with her breasts pressed against his chest, one of her hands in his, and one of her legs snaked between his. They didn’t have sex, but it was an oddly intimate position. Her presence felt...comforting.

She must have felt him stirring because it wasn’t long before she grumbled. “If you give me a minute, I’ll make you breakfast.”

He tries to smile, but his face hurt. “Take all the time you need. I think the room might be spinning.”

“We need water.” She was right, but it struck him how she didn’t recoil or try to move away from him. 

Some time later, they did actually make it upright. Neither of them made an effort at finding clothes. His head hurt like hell. Hers must have too because he noticed she was quick to present him with some Tylenol, coffee, and water. He wasn’t usually a coffee drinker, but today it tasted as good as any cake at Christmas.

True to her promise of breakfast, she made pancakes for them around 11am. “Thanks for breakfast. The pancakes are delicious.”

“Please. It’s a boxed mix. Couldn’t fuck it up if I tried.”

“It’s still a nice gesture. There was some effort made.” He smiled, noting it definitely hurt a lot less to smile now.

She flashed him a warm smile. “I’m glad you like them.”

“I’m sorry if I made a fool of myself last night.” He really wasn’t sure if he’d said or done anything that made him look foolish. He also didn’t know why he cared to make this distinction. She probably figured it was just a night of fun.

“You didn’t. I feel like I am the one who should apologize. I can be a bit demanding when I’m drinking. I didn’t mean to push you anything you’re not ready for.”

“You absolutely didn’t. The ring toss was cathartic for sure.” She closed her eyes and tried to suppress her laughter.

“I meant sex, but I’m glad that helped.” 

He waved his hand at her. “Oh, I definitely was down with the sex, but we were just much too drunk by that time.”

“That was a good call. Can I give you a ride back to your hotel after breakfast?”

“If you don’t mind. Otherwise, I can grab a cab.”

“No, I’ll take you.”

After breakfast, he found his suit crumpled on the floor, nice and wrinkled. She giggled when she saw him. He noticed she was in workout clothes.

He put his hands out. “I always dress to impress the ladies.”

“Of course you do. Sorry about your suit.”

He waved his hand. “It’s fine. It was all for a good cause. Do you always look like a sculpted goddess?”

“I don’t know.” He saw her cheeks turning pink even as she spoke. “But you could do some research and let me know.”

“Hmm. So do you want to get dinner tonight? If you’re free and not tired of me.”

She nodded her head with a smile. “I am free tonight, and I am not tired of you. I think dinner would be nice. Though, maybe a little less alcohol.”

“Deal.” He almost shouted, but he wasn’t there quite yet.

“Give me your phone.”

He handed her his phone and watched as she entered her contact information and sent herself a text message. They got into her SUV, and she drove him back to his hotel. 

Putting the car in park, she turned to look at him. “Well, this is you. You said you were at a hotel. I assumed it was some mopey motel. I bet your room is nicer than my house.”

“I don’t know about that. Don’t doubt the level of comfort that something cozy and familiar can bring you. So can I pick you up around 8?”

“That’s fine. Where are we going?”

“Wherever you want. You pick.”

She laughed. “I guarantee you don’t want me picking. We will end up at a pub. I am only asking so I know what to wear.”

He shook his head. “You know, clothes? No clothes? It’s all the same to me.” 

“Stop!” She yelled at him playfully.

“Ok, well, I guess wear a dress of some sort, and I will take you somewhere nice. You’ll have to forgive me for not planning ahead, but I will do my best in the next few hours to plan a nice evening out.”

“Fair. I will also try to look presentable.”

“I sincerely doubt that will be a problem.”

She playfully swatted at his arm. “Whatever. I have a workout class to get to, so I will see you when you get to my house later. My address is in your phone.”

“All right.” He reached over the console and kissed her. Her lips were still as eager for his as they were last night. That was a good sign. “Ok, I’ll pick you up at 8. One more thing. Bring your bathing suit.” She eyed him in curiosity as he shut the door to her SUV.

With that, she drove away. He watched her drive away, not in sadness but in anticipation. For the first time in months, the weight on his chest felt lighter. He could breathe again--he didn’t feel so lonely anymore.


	2. Love Somebody

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and reviewing! This was seriously meant to be a one shot, but after some encouragement, I wrote a few more chapters. Sticking with the theme of Maroon 5 songs for now. This one is set to "Love Somebody." Please pay attention to the line breaks. There is smut (early in the fic, I know lol) after the line break, so if that's not your thing, please skip to the next line break, which includes sexually suggestive language but no smut.

She woke that morning with a splitting headache, but she couldn’t remember the last time she felt that relaxed and comfortable with someone else. Her usual sense of modesty didn’t even wash over her as she got out of bed and made them breakfast wearing only her bra and panties. She didn’t know what it was about Patrick that set her off kilter, but he seemed like exactly what he seemed to be--which was mysterious in a way but still refreshing and safe.

After her workout, she went home for a nap before getting ready for her evening out. She swept her hair into a side ponytail and put on a simple, sleeveless black dress. A girl could never miss with a black dress—or at least she’d read that in a magazine a long time ago. Remembering he told her to bring her bathing suit, she also packed a small bag that included a few overnight essentials and a change of clothes for the morning just in case. She hated being away from home without a toothbrush. 

As expected, he arrived at her house at 8, but not before sending her a text message announcing he was on the way. Sliding into her shiny black pumps before opening her door, she noticed he held a bundle of roses that he presented to her as she ushered him in. 

“These are for you. You look gorgeous.” He kissed her on the cheek as he placed the roses in her hands.

“Thank you.” She noticed he wore a dark gray suit—with a vest—and a white shirt. She loved the vest. It made him look sharp and sophisticated, but it made her wonder if she might be underdressed.

“So where are we going?”

“A nice salad fusion restaurant.”

Her face fell. “Oh ok.”

“Nah. I’m just joking. We’re going to Mariano’s downtown. They have a full menu with great dessert options.” Much better. “I saw you go rabid over French fries last night. I know you can eat and would probably take my hand off if you were hungry enough.”

She grinned. “That is absolutely true.”

“Is Mariano’s ok?”

“It’s perfect. I just wanted to make sure I’m not underdressed because I could change really fast.”

“You’re not. You look absolutely stunning.” He leaned in and kissed her on the lips this time.

He snaked his arm around her waist as he brought her in closer to himself. She didn’t mind the contact with him because he smelled nice and felt incredibly warm. She pulled back.

“Not that I don’t enjoy this, but I’m actually quite hungry.”

He grinned. “Of course. Do you have your bathing suit?”

She lifted her small bag. “I do.”

With that, she locked up her house as he led her to his car. Dinner was nice because they finally got to the basics. As safe as he seemed, she didn’t even know his last name or his age. 

“So I got into a car with a man whose last name I don’t even know. Some would say that’s not the best judgment.” She teased him a bit as she sipped her red wine.

He grinned at her. “Patrick Jane. I’m 33 and originally from somewhere near the Modesto area--I think. I can’t be sure. We moved around a lot when I was a kid on the carnival circuit.”

“Carnival circuit? That explains where you used to pretend to be a psychic.”

“Also how I can spot a cop from a good mile off, even if she is incredibly gorgeous and using her charms to scam men out of their money at a pool table.”

“Hey!” She feigned shock at his statement, but really he wasn’t that far off. It was the best way to get some serious games in. She usually just saved whatever she made at home. “I don’t scam anyone. They pay to play.”

“Pay to play, huh? So what about you, strange woman who owns the house where I woke up this morning?”

“Teresa Lisbon, 31. I’m from Chicago. Threatened to join the carnival a few times, but I never did.”

“You wouldn’t like it.”

“No?”

“Not enough rules for you.” She laughed at that. 

After their main course, he ordered two slices of their famous housemade cheesecake. He seemed to know better than to assume she’d want to share a slice. He just kept racking up goodwill!

“So luxury cars, huh?”

“Yeah, I own Jane Luxury Automotive. I had a good mechanical background, and it helped me land my first job outside of the carnival. I scraped and saved, buying cars here and there. Fixing them and selling them. A guy who owned a car lot took notice, and he introduced me to the large scale business. My fake psychic skills really helped with sales. I’ve been building out ever since then.”

“A salesman who can tell you everything about you that you don’t even know and whatever you want to hear. No wonder you have been able to build out your own business so well!”

“It certainly helps in financial success.”

“So Angela came with you from the carnival circuit?” She was genuinely curious, but he looked stricken. “Hey, Patrick. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up a sore subject.”

“No, it’s ok. I just didn’t think you’d care. Yes. We met when we were kids. Carnival families tend to band together and travel together. We both hated it. My mom left when I was a kid. My dad would use me to grift wealthy people out of money so that he could go gamble it or drink it up or whatever he felt like doing. I saved what I could with an eye on getting out as soon as possible.”

Her throat went dry as she swallowed. “I can understand that.”

“Yeah?”

“My mom died in a car accident when I was a teen. My dad hit the bottle. Hard. That was before he’d hit one of us--usually me. Yet, I never gave up on the jerk. I cleaned him up when he came home drunk and puking everywhere, nursed his busted up face when he got into fights, made sure he got to the parent teacher days at school, and did whatever else needed done at the house. If he was well enough, I made sure he’d go to one of my brothers’ ball games or do something with them. I took care of them, too. I raised them after he died.”

He placed his hand on top of hers. “I’m sorry. That was a lot for a teenager.”

“Yeah, well, a lot of people have hard stories. It’s what we do with them that matters.”

He nodded in agreement. “So brothers?”

“I have three younger brothers. You?”

“No siblings. That I know of. My father is still around. Who knows how many kids he has and is trying to take advantage of. I’ve thought about looking for my mother, but she didn’t care enough to stick around or look for me as far as I know. It’s not a priority.”

“If I’ve learned anything, it’s that family is what you make it. Sometimes, me and the boys get together at holidays. Me and Tommy, the brother closest to my age, left Chicago. Jimmy and Stan are still there. I just pray they stay out of trouble. It’s all that I can do.”

He sipped his cocktail. “It’s true. So why here? Why Sacramento? Surely, you didn’t have to travel all of this way to become a cop?”

She giggled. That was a nice change of pace. “My Uncle Evan sent my mom this postcard of the sun shining over the Golden Gate Bridge when I was a kid. I always thought it was so beautiful, and I always wanted to be there. One day, I woke up and realized that nothing was stopping me from being there. I’d just graduated from college and the boys were doing their own thing. I called my uncle up and took a bus out to see him. A few weeks later, I took the police academy entrance exam on a whim. And that’s history!”

“Being a cop seems like a calling, and that’s all it took?”

“Well, that’s all it took to get me in and through the academy. Working with victims and their families, trying to help them in their pursuit of justice, that’s what keeps me in it.”

“So you work in San Francisco?”

“Oh no! I was SFPD for a while, and I had a good record. After 4 years, I was recruited to the California Bureau of Investigation. I work here now. I investigate serious crimes.”

He whistled. “The big leagues, I see.”

“Oh please. Now, you’re just placating me.” They both laughed. She really did enjoy his company. “So it really doesn’t bother you that I’m a cop?”

He met her eyes. “No. Why would it? I follow the law. Most of the time. I think. Sometimes, my foot gets a little heavy, and you know…”

She cackled at that. She didn’t mean to, but it happened. “I’ll be sure to watch your speed as we leave. I’ll issue you a ticket if I must.”

“If you must…” He grinned at her again. His smile was infectious. 

“You do know that being a cop means that I carry a gun? Have physical combat training?” He nodded along. “And you’re sure none of that bothers you?”

He leaned in. “Teresa, I’m not afraid that you can overpower me. It doesn’t threaten my manhood that you would probably do better in a bar fight than I would. I enjoy you and your company.”

“I just don’t want it to be a thing. I am who I am, and that’s a woman who is a cop. I get two weeks a month guaranteed in town, and the other two weeks on call with the possibility of being sent out of town for a few days at a time. I have one weekend off a month, and I spend the other three on call. And I work around a lot of other men.”

“You have a career. I respect it.”

“You say that now, but my experience is that men don’t always handle it well, especially the part about me being around a lot of other men all day, and sometimes, nights and weekends.”

“Ok.”

“And I’m a bit of a tomboy.”

“Please. I met you pool hustling some seriously questionable looking guys. Tomboy vibes noted. And you know, I’ve spent my life telling people the bare minimum about me, but you’ve managed to learn my darkest truths in the course of two evenings. Either you have a supercop power, or I really like you. You pursuing your passions is what makes you who you are. It’s all part of the charm that draws me to you.”

She flashed him a wide smile as she felt the blush beginning to spread across her chest. She really liked him, too. He leaned in.

“Does it bother you that I am getting out of a long term relationship? I mean, she was the first and only woman I have ever dated until now. And I married her.”

“It doesn’t bother me. I just...don’t waste my time. If you are just looking for some fun, that’s fine. I am a woman. A night of fun here and there is always a plus. Don’t lead me on. You say you must really like me. Well, I must really like you too. I’m no angel. I’ve had hookups from time to time, but I’ve never agreed to dinner with them the next night. Do you know how many men I take back to my house? None, especially after knowing them for a few hours. Or even made them breakfast the next morning.” 

“I like your pancake breakfasts. I look forward to more of them.” She laughed. It tickled her how he seemed so into the simple gesture. She sobered quickly when she suddenly wondered if anyone had ever done that for him before.

“Seriously, if you just want a fling, I won’t be angry.”

“Can we...can we just see where it goes? You have my complete honesty. Everything I told you last night is true. I wouldn’t lead you on or waste your time.”

She looked at the man in front of her for a moment. Beneath his smile and his charm, she could also see his vulnerability. It didn’t take her long to decide what she would say next. She’d take this chance and hope for the best, with all things considered. “Let’s see where it goes. So what’s the plan for this evening?”

“So I have a penthouse suite that has a private jacuzzi. I thought we might take advantage of that if you wanted to.”

“Oh, I would love that.”

“Good. Then, how about we get out of here?”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After dinner, he drove them back to his hotel. She couldn’t believe just how gorgeous the place was. His bedroom alone could fit her master and guest bedrooms. Not to mention, the decor was out of this world. 

“If you want you can get changed in my room back there.” He disappeared into the bathroom. 

Returning, he reached his hand out for her. “Come with me please.” She took his hand and followed him into the bathroom. 

In the center of the bathroom, she saw the very large jacuzzi like out of a movie. He’d placed cherry-scented candles around the bathroom, careful not to place any too close to the tub itself. It looked...well, it looked romantic and inviting. She’d never seen anything quite like it before. 

Holding her hand, he stepped in to support her step in. She turned to face him, splashing some of the warm water up her thighs. Placing a quick kiss on his lips, she asked him a question. “Where exactly do you see me sitting in this scenario?”

He brought his other hand up to stroke her jaw bone. “Wherever you’d like.”

“Hmm. Then, shall we sit?” He sat down, and she straddled him with her legs on either side of him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. 

“You chose well.”

“Thought you’d like it.” She almost made a joke about her eyes being up here as he looked directly at her breasts covered by her golden bikini top. To bring his attention back to where she wanted him, she leaned in and kissed him. He drew her against his chest, as he let one of his hands fall to her ass and the other stroked her belly and up her side, carefully splashing water up her body.

She involuntarily rocked her hips against his and gasped when his hand hit a sensitive spot on her side, causing him to immediately break their kiss. “I’m sorry. Are you ok?”

“I’m fine. I don’t know how long you intend to stay in the tub, but maybe we should move this to the bed?”

“Actually, I thought maybe we could leave things right here.” He tilted his head and patted the side of the tub. She eyed him with suspicion, but she sat up on the side of the tub as he reached for the string holding her top on. “May I?”

“Of course.” He made quick work of her top before settling his chest between her legs dangling in the water. Holding her back for support, he moved his head down and placed kisses on her breasts before moving on to alternate between biting and sucking at her nipples. She cradled his head in her arms and drew water up his back as he continued. 

Suddenly, his lips were back on hers as he reached behind her. Without breaking their kiss, she felt him loosening the string on her bikini bottoms before swiping the fabric out of the way all together. Placing her legs behind his back, she moved closer to him. He pulled back from their kiss.

“Maybe not the best time, but I guess I should ask. What do you want to do about protection?”

“I was tested at my annual check up a month ago, and I am on the pill.”

“Ah. I was tested a few months ago, after...well you know what. Do you want me to use a condom?”

“Not if you don’t want to.”

He shook his head. “It kind of doesn’t work well with what I was thinking.”

“And what exactly are you thinking?”

He presented her with a bottle of lubricant. “I was thinking that I’d figure out exactly where your G spot is and then we’d do some combination of you riding me and me fucking you against the side of the tub. I’m not particularly picky on that part.”

She was in full blown desire mode as the heat pooled between her thighs, one of which he was massaging. “Hmm. I like the way you think.”

“I thought you might.”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

She had no idea how long they were in that jacuzzi, but after they’d both had multiple orgasms, they made their way out of the tepid water. Her legs wobbled as she stood and he wrapped the towel around her.

For some reason, she felt a wave of shyness pass over her, averting her eyes as he wrapped his own towel around himself. “Thank you.”

He leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. “My pleasure. That was definitely a refreshing bath.”

She scoffed. As she playfully swatted his chest, he drew her into an embrace. He grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles. “I’d like it if you stayed the night with me, but if you want, I’ll take you home.”

“I’ll stay.”

He kissed her again. She could feel his grin on her lips. “That’s what I was hoping you’d say.”

He took her hand in his and walked her to his bedroom. Still holding her hand, he stood behind her and pulled her back into his chest, holding her there. She wasn’t entirely sure what he was thinking, but her legs were already shaking. “But I don’t know how much more you’re going to get out of me tonight.” 

“Did I tire you out, Teresa?” She could practically feel him grinning from ear to ear. 

She guffawed. “Please! Don’t let it go to your head!”

“Never. If I’m being honest, you’ve zapped all of my energy. I was just thinking of how badly I want to hold you. Will you let me hold you as we fall asleep?” It seemed like such a simple thing. Yet, it was incredibly intimate. She remembered how she awoke this morning, and it was exhilarating to think that he may have had a similar response.

She turned her head to meet his blue eyes. “Yes.” 

He tapped her arm before releasing her. He went to his chest and pulled out a shirt. “Here, you can sleep in this if you’d like.” She thought of her own little baggie, the one she’d packed in anticipation of staying the night with him. She’d packed a nightshirt in there, but she appreciated his gesture so much that she took his offering.

“Thank you.” 

She put the simple white t-shirt over her head, and he put on a pair of boxers. He pulled the covers back and slid in, opening his arms for her to join him. She placed her head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her body, pulling her onto her side and completely against him. 

“Goodnight, Teresa.” He kissed her. 

“Goodnight, Patrick.” They continued kissing, not deeply, but just chaste kisses that one or the other would pepper onto the other as he thumbed his fingers through the ends of her wet hair.

She wasn’t sure how long they went on like that, but eventually she fell into a deep, relaxing sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe things moved a little quickly, but seriously, it's called writing yourself into a hole when you've initially planned for a one shot. I really wanted to write them on date and getting to know each other in this universe a little more, so this worked. Ready to see what comes next?


	3. Lucky Strike

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and reviewing! A little domestic Jisbon. Watch for line breaks--smut in between the line breaks, so please skip if you don't like. Also, we created playlists on Apple Music and Spotify for this story, so if you're wanting listen along, just type in the title of this story. It should come up on either Apple or Spotify!!

He distinctly remembered sitting in Lenny’s Bar a month ago to the day. Not in a million years would he have ever regarded this place as anything more than a watering hole to drown the sorrows that came from his life falling apart because he was a miserable, unlovable, cold man.

Tonight, he was going there with Teresa, on their one month anniversary. Well, he wasn’t sure if she was calling it that, but that’s how he thought of it. She’d finally gotten a weekend off, and she had hinted about wanting to play pool. So after he finished up at work, he drove to her house. They’d decided from there, they would catch a cab. 

For the last month, they’d spent nearly every night together that they could. They didn’t have sex every night. Sometimes, they just held each other and went to sleep after a movie or a game. Sometimes, nighttime cuddles turned to morning sex. Sometimes, it didn’t. Some nights, she stayed at his hotel. Most nights, he stayed here with her. He could tell she had a preference for her own bed, and it made it easier if she had to spring out of bed because she got called in. She did get called away on a case for four nights, but they talked every night she was away. Most days, they traded messages throughout the day.

As he opened the door with the spare key she’d given him, she greeted him with a kiss. “Hey! How was work today?”

He grabbed a glass out of the cabinet and walked to the refrigerator for some water. “Work was fine. Never a shortage of people in Northern California looking to drive fancy cars. You know, looking to put on the show of having more money than they do. How was your day?”

“Blegh. I’m glad it’s finally our weekend off. Too much damn paperwork. I wish people would stop killing each other.”

“You know, you should run for Miss America on that platform.” He placed his hand in the air, as if he were writing in the sky. “Teresa Lisbon: against murder, for world peace.”

She pointed the knife she was using to cut some kind of cheese off her wooden cutting board at him and smiled. “Don’t get cute.”

“Can’t help it. Already cute. What’s that?”

“I thought I’d make us a little snack before we go to Lenny’s. A little platter with meat and cheese. I know you wanted to grab dinner afterward, but I am a little hungry now and didn’t want to drink on an empty stomach. You got here a little earlier than I expected.”

The counter was full of jars and things that she’d been chopping. “A little meat and cheese platter? Teresa, you look like you’ve been chopping for hours! And you’ve got spread, crackers, and olives...that’s enough food for a Super Bowl party.”

She scoffed. “Dicing. You’ve obviously never seen cops at a Super Bowl party. This would be gone in seconds. Besides, I have the weekend off. It won’t spoil. At least we have something to snack on throughout the weekend.”

He was a bit flustered. No one had ever prepared food for him like this. When he was a kid, he’d grab cereal, a corn dog, or whatever canned good he could find if his dad forgot to feed him before he ran off on an adventure. When he and Angela moved out, they’d eat whatever. Frozen dinners were popular until he started making money. Then, it was dining out. 

Teresa was always making snacks or meals. When she didn’t have to sprint off on the weekends, she made breakfast for them and made dinner most nights when they were at her house. A few mornings after he’d stayed the night, he came out to find that she had made him a lunch with her own. He appreciated her care, and he definitely loved the food, but he didn’t quite know how to tell her that he was used to making due. She didn’t have to take care of him.

“I’m not knocking the idea of snacking. I’m going to have to start going to the gym though.” He tapped on his belly, earning a smile from her. His point landed.

“You’re more than welcome to join me at Pilates tomorrow.” She snuck in a seductive slide glance. “It might help with your flexibility. We could also go for a run on Sunday.” 

“I’ll have to check my schedule.” She laughed. She was so beautiful--all the time--but especially so when she flashed him a smile or a laugh, one that was meant just for him.

They sat at her breakfast bar and snacked on her platter of meats and cheeses. She’d told him about her paperwork, and he told her about his. As they got into their taxi for their night out, he couldn’t help but kiss her before taking her hand. 

“Promise me that you will let other guys play, too.” He sighed. She’d been adminant that she wanted to spend the evening with him, but that under no circumstances did she want him hogging her pool table. 

“I know. I can play a few rounds, and you’ll even play me fairly.” She nodded along with his words as he leaned in to whisper into her ear. “But I already won the game. I will be watching your round ass bent over that pool table all night. Then, I get to take you home and fuck you in ways that those other men could only even dream of.”

Her green eyes met his, but she didn’t say a word to him. He picked her hand up and kissed it. She responded by running her thumb over his knuckles.

Yes, the past month was incredible. They’d fallen into patterns and routines that didn’t entirely make sense to him. She was a comforting, encouraging presence. He got a rush of happiness around her that he couldn’t quite place. He’d even gotten back on track to finish getting everything divided with Angela. Well, the lawyers were doing that. The ultimate betrayal didn’t sting any less, but as long as he was able to keep his business entirely to himself, he could let things go.

As they entered the bar, he ordered them a round of drinks. She already had takers at her table, so he simply had her drink sent over to her as he sat at the bar and watched her work. True to his word, he let her do her thing. He really didn’t mind watching her work. 

The bartender noticed him staring, and he motioned to him to lean in. “You know she’s a cop, right?”

“Huh? Is that right?”

“Yeah, I see you eyeing her. Just so you know before you go getting any ideas. She could fuck your life up, pal.”

“How the hell do you figure she’s a cop? She doesn’t look like one to me.” He was willing to take the bait and engage in this conversation.

“Well, at first, I thought she was a stripper or maybe a pro.” He choked on his drink. “You know, no disrespect to the lady or any other ladies who make their money how they make it. It’s just how she’d get the guys all going wild and seemed to like it. Never got scared. Most ladies get nervous and bounce after that.”

“So how does that make her a cop?”

“Oh. Some other cop came in asking after her. At first, I thought he was her PO. I didn’t say anything. I see nothing and say nothing, but he wanted to know if she was here questioning perps. He said he’d seen her here and was just interested in info. Like I said, my lips are sealed.” That was interesting. From what she told him, no one knew she came here.

“Wow. When was that?”

“A few months or so ago.”

“So you don’t tell the guys?”

“Nah.” He waved his hand in dismissal. “She’s a good customer. She minds her business, and really, she’s good for business. And if shit ever goes down, at least I know I got a cop on my side.”

They both laughed at that. “Yeah, good call!”

The older guy walked away to tend to another customer. He looked at Teresa, who had just cleared her first fatality of the evening and the next one was lining up. Yes, he’d been watching those cheesy cop shows to see if he could pick up any lingo. It drove her crazy. He loved it!

He sent her another round. After taking the money of two more guys, she motioned him over. He pointed at his own chest, feigning shock that she gave him any attention. “Are you ready to play a winner?”

The guys standing around them jeered as he took up a pool cue. She only smiled at him. Once again, he let her break first. She played him fairly. He still lost that round. Well, she played him mostly fairly. He wasn’t entirely sure if she was purposely swaying her hips for effect. He’d sort that out later.

He raised his glass to her. “Good game!”

“Yeah, it was.”

Giving him nothing, she got started with her next round. She played a few more rounds before making her way to him at the bar. “Are you finished?”

She placed one hand over his shoulder and leaned over to the side, her hair falling onto the bar top. “No, I wanted to play you again. Are you upset with me?”

“No, why would I be? I’m just letting you earn dinner money. I’d never interfere with a good hustle.” She laughed at him as he wrapped his arm around her lower back. “Do you want something else to drink? Maybe some shots?”

“Mmm shots can be dangerous as I think we’ve established.” 

“One shot. Not a table full of them.”

She bit down on her bottom lip. “Fine. Tequila.”

“So then, you went from not wanting to be too dangerous to deciding we will be dying tonight?” 

She slapped his shoulder. “Your idea, honey.”

The bartender approached and looked at them strangely. “What can I do for you two?”

“Two shots of tequila please.”

She interrupted his order. “Make em doubles.” 

She pulled cash out of her pocket to pay, and he put his hand out. “I’ve got these.”

“You’ve had them all night.”

He shrugged. “It’s fine.”

“Patrick, you know you don’t always have to pay for me when we go out, right?”

“I know I don’t have to, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t like to.” He grinned at her.

She slapped him on the shoulder again. “Whatever. Play me again.”

He played her again. He lost again. He was beginning to wonder by which stroke of luck he ever beat her in the first place.

“You wanna get out of here? We can either go get dinner down the street, or I was thinking we could order in? Maybe rent a movie? Maybe let you spank my round ass in bed since you couldn’t spank it at the pool table?”

He chuckled. “You know, you seem rather excited for that. I never mentioned spanking you.”

She shrugged. “We both know that’s exactly what you were thinking. And maybe I just like moving my round ass for you while you spank me and fuck me like the bad girl that I am. You know, in the way the other men in here can only dream of?”

Suddenly, his pants felt about two sizes too small as he tried to think of anything other than what she’d just said to him. One of his favorite things about her was how sharp she was, always laying in wait with an opportunity to repay his comments. Clearing his throat, he replied. “Ordering dinner in and a renting movie is fine.”

She patted him on the chest and smiled. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

She clearly teased him to bend him to her will: a low key dinner and a movie at home. But she hadn’t been coy about her vision for the evening. As some romantic comedy or another played, she straddled his lap and started kissing him. Her unreserved kisses told him that she absolutely wanted him and that he was not expected to hold back. Not long after, they started shedding clothes. She encouraged him to kiss and suckle her breasts. She wasn’t shy about sex or telling him exactly what she wanted from him. Her passion and assertiveness made him feel alive.

Just as she promised, she brought out a towel before she leaned against the back of her sofa on her elbows, put her ass in the air, and encouraged him to spank her while he thrust into her. Her hips grounding into him and her loud moans provided all the encouragement he needed. Later, after they’d both reached their peak, they watched a different movie as they lay there naked, cuddling and caressing each other. 

Of course, they snacked on the platter that she made before leaving. As she popped a green olive--his favorite--into his mouth, he was glad she thought to make that. She really had the best instincts about his needs--and that was before ending their night with a more gentle lovemaking in her bed.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next morning, he woke to his Teresa Toaster missing--it’s what he called her because she slept incredibly hot. However, he noticed the smell of bacon and coffee coming from the kitchen. He threw on his boxers and made his way out to the kitchen. 

“Morning. I just turned on your kettle.” She greeted him with a kiss as she continued watching the college football game she had going on her iPad. He had no idea who was playing, but her body language told him that it wasn’t necessarily going the way she wanted it to go. When she turned around, he realized she was wearing an Illinois jersey, not her usual Bears. He let her be as he focused on making his tea. Once she found out he preferred tea to coffee, she’d surprised him with an assortment of teas and an electric tea kettle that she’d ordered online.

As he sipped his tea and started scrolling through a listing of houses, she spoke again. “Bacon and eggs for breakfast. How do you want your eggs?” 

He shrugged. “However, you make yours. You know, I appreciate it, but you don’t have to cook for me, right?”

“What is it that you told me about paying for everything last night? I know, but I like doing it. I like eating too, you know. Besides, you’ve got the dishes.”

He grinned. “If by having the dishes you mean loading the dishwasher, I’m all over it.” He kissed the side of her head as she smiled.

After breakfast, they lounged on the sofa for a bit. Specifically, she sat up right and he laid his head in her lap. 

“You know, you could sit up on a sofa like normal people do.” 

“Meh. This is how I do my best thinking. Besides, I don’t think the way you were on the sofa last night is exactly normal use.” 

She swatted at his arm before throwing an extremely high pitched “shut up” his way.

“This is how I do my best thinking.”

“I call bullshit on that.” Of course, she’d called bullshit on his reasoning. He kept lying in her lap anyway. It was the second coziest place in the house.

He continued looking through the housing listings. He’d been living at that hotel for five months now. He wanted--needed--something more permanent. After leaving the carnival life, he had vowed never to be a transient again.

“What are you looking at?”

“Just looking at houses. I think it’s time I move on from the hotel.”

“Oh.”

“Oh? Does my very special agent Teresa Lisbon have some insight here? Like this little house here for about $400,000. Not much of a yard, but I’ve never been much of an outdoors guy.”

“We’ve got to go on a kayaking trip sometime.”

“I’ve never done it, but if this is something you want to do, I’m willing to try it at least once.”

“For those of us not born in the land of sun and moderate climates, it’s nice to get outdoors and be able to do things year round.”

He laughed. “Don’t you guys ice skate or something? That’s outdoors.”

“Please. Don’t remind me of Chicago winters. That’s torture.”

He turned to look her in the eye. “Do you ever think of going back there?”

She scrunched her face up like she was thinking about it. “I don’t know. Maybe someday. A huge part of who I am today came from being here. My job is here. My life is here.” She trailed off at the last part, seemingly lost in thought. He didn’t pursue it as he returned to his listings.

He felt her inhale deeply before she spoke again. “You know, you could stay here.” 

He blinked rapidly a few times before he tilted his head up to look into her eyes. “Are you asking me to move in?”

She paused once more. “I am.” He sat up and turned towards her.

He wasn’t sure what to make of her offer at first. She looked...confident. “Teresa, are you asking me to move in with you because you think I need you to take care of me?”

“No, I’m asking you to move in because I like you being here with me. But if you don’t want to, that’s ok, too.” 

Sometimes, he couldn’t help but marvel at the fact that he was even in her universe. He took her hand. “Let me ask you something first. We’ve been...doing this...for about a month now. We said we would see where this goes. Moving in is a big step that kind of means we have a path in mind. Where exactly are we going?” 

Her pulse was rapid. He could feel it. He hoped that if he held her hand it would make her less nervous. He didn’t intend to make her nervous, but he needed to know if she was thinking about things the same way he did. 

“I like spending time with you. We spend almost every night together now, and I don’t want that to change. I remember when we met and you told me not to underestimate the feeling of something cozy and familiar. Well, you being here has become cozy and familiar for me. I kinda look forward to coming home to you. So yes, I’d like you to move in...and I very much want to be with you...but nothing that you’re not ready for! I don’t want to pressure you into anything. You shouldn’t feel like you have to say yes to this to please me.”

As her words started to come out more rapidly, he kissed her. “I’m going to say yes, but not just because I want to please you. It pleases me to please you, but it pleases me more to be here with you. And you’re not pressuring me into anything, especially not a relationship. I love spending time with you, and I am lucky as hell to be in your orbit. I’d love to move in, but only if it’s what you really want. I don’t want to be some burden on you.”

She nodded her head. “It is what I want. You’re not a burden, and I wish you didn’t think that you are.”

“We both promised never to take advantage of the other, so I just want to make sure this isn’t born out of some need to take care of me.”

She took his hand. “You’re not taking advantage of me.”

He shook his head. “I just need you to know that I don’t expect you to take care of me.”

She scoffed. “Take care of you? You make more money a day than I do in a month!”

“That’s not what I mean. I appreciate when you do things like make food for me, but you don’t have to go out of your way to take care of me. You’re a busy woman, and I am used to making due.”

She reached out and began stroking his cheek. “Patrick, I do those things because I want to do them. I know you’re used to making due. We both are. But you don’t have to make due anymore. That’s the whole point of having each other.” She kissed him. 

“My divorce isn’t final yet. We’re close to a settlement, I think. So I’m still working through that legal entanglement.” He didn’t tell her how much of that she’d helped make happen.

She shook her head. “I know this isn’t some elaborate hoax to maintain a mistress.”

He laughed at that. “But you will let me make you breakfast and dinner sometimes, right? I don’t want to get a reputation for making you cook for me.”

“You’re not making me do anything. I don’t think you could if you tried.”

“I don’t think so either.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Wait. Can you cook?”

He shook his head. “I can make eggs, and I know how to order in. I’m also really talented at shopping for cereal bars, granola bars, protein bars...you know, the whole range of slightly filling foods that play at being a meal.”

She laughed as she stood and reached for his hand. He took her hand, standing up and following her to her room. “I’ll make space for your clothes in here. What doesn’t fit can go to the guest bedroom.”

“I’ll start bringing my stuff over tomorrow. Should be simple. I don’t actually own much of anything besides clothes and my car. Everything else is at the house and still being haggled over in the settlement. Honestly, I’m going to let her have most of everything there so I can keep the business.”

“No problem. I’ll get everything cleared out today. You know, if there’s anything you want or need to make it feel like your home too, you should bring it.” Of course she would want to make sure he felt at home...in their home. Whether she knew it consciously or not, it’s why she’d gone out of her way to get him a tea kettle: she wanted to make him feel at home with her.

“Ok, but first, I would like some quality time with my girlfriend, in our bed.” He soft tackled her onto the bed, making her laugh. Within seconds, his lips found hers and their clothes found the floor. He pulled back, stroking her hair. “I’m never going to get tired of this.” 

By Sunday evening, all of his possessions were in their closet. He checked out of the hotel he’d been living in for five months. Parking his car next to Teresa’s SUV, he was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda went back and forth on the domestic Jisbon. Not trying to reinforce gender stereotypes, but I could see them trying to take care of each other in ways that are small but in ways that they can show their care.


	4. Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we and Patrick Jane meet Teresa Lisbon's team!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed this story so far!! It's a long way from the oneshot I set out for it to be lol. I am planning to post 1-2 chapters a week until it's finished. Please enjoy the ride!

Two and a half months ago, she asked Patrick to move in with her--shocking even herself. She saw him looking at home listings, and in a split second, she realized she never wanted him to call a place without her in it home. Ever.

In some ways, she was still waiting for the other shoe to drop. He’d kept his cool about her being a cop. He didn’t mind that she was called out or even when she got woken up to get to a crime scene. He didn’t give her shit for being herself. Still, she was terrified about what could go wrong to make him realize she was a mistake. Surely, he’d find someone much better than her.

She was so afraid that he’d move on soon enough that she didn’t go through the pains of introducing him to anyone. Well, they’d met up with Madeleine and her husband one night for dinner. When she FaceTimed with her brother and nephew, she’d mentioned she was seeing someone, but she definitely didn’t mention that they were living together. Well, she might have mentioned it if he asked, but her brothers never really asked much about her personal life. She definitely never mentioned him to her team, and she’d avoided game nights/days for three solid months now, which is why she surprised herself once again that week.

They were on call for out of town cases that week. A series of murders popped up about four hours away in McArthur. Her team got the call, but her boss, Agent Minelli, also called Sam Bosco in to act as secondary lead on the case. It was a high profile case, and he wanted it solved as quickly and quietly as possible. As soon as she got the case, she texted Patrick to let him know she would be headed up north for a few days, but when Minelli briefed her and Bosco she had a change of heart.

“Hey boss. When are we heading out?”

“Give me about an hour. I have some things to wrap up. If Bosco’s leaving sooner, one of you might hitch a ride with him.”

“We are not leaving sooner.” Sam Bosco was standing in the bullpen. “I thought we’d carpool it up and get a local car.”

She scrunched her face. “You want to take a bus? What if we have to split up on the ground?”

“Like I said, local car. It’s a long ride.”

“All the more reason we need separate cars.” She was mildly impressed how Cho could just interject in a conversation like that without ever looking up from what he was doing. He and Rigsby had some bad blood with some of Bosco’s team.

Bosco moved his mouth to the side as he waved to where Cho and Rigsby sat. “So is this going to be a problem?”

Before either of them could answer, she picked it up. After all, she was still in charge. “No, there will be no problems. We are all professionals working together toward a common goal. I need to take care of something, so give me about an hour. If you’re sure you want to take a bus and all ride together, we can accommodate that. I just think two cars is better if we need to split up.”

Bosco nodded at her. Obviously, she’d given him the answer he wanted. “I’ll be waiting for you here.”

Returning to her office, she called Patrick. “Hey.”

“Hey, are you heading out?”

“I am, but I have a weird question for you.”

“Yeah, what’s that?” 

“Wanna get out of town?” And just like that, she explained the multiple homicide case to him and how each victim had been staged in a high end car. She’d noticed the pictures all had really nice cars, but no one seemed to say much about why they were all in their cars. It didn’t take a huge leap to reach the conclusion that maybe the cars meant something.

“So when are you leaving?”

“Can you be here in an hour or less? The consulting fee is terrible, but we will put you up for the duration of the case.”

He laughed. “I’m sure the fee is terrible. I need to grab a few things from home, and I’ll be there. Do you need me to bring you anything?”

“Ah...no. My go back is ready, but maybe grab some snacks for the trip?”

She could hear his smile on the phone. He loved teasing her over her snacking. “You’ve got it. I’ll see you soon.” 

“Wait. One more thing.” He waited on the other end of the line. “Please don’t mention our relationship to my team members. I want to…”

“Keep your private life private. I got it.”

She was suddenly self-conscious. They weren’t doing anything wrong. Sure, he was still legally married pending a settlement agreement. But he wasn’t her dirty little secret! “I don’t mean anything by it. I’m not ashamed.”

He chuckled. “Teresa, I understand. I’m not upset. I won’t say a word. I’m looking forward to seeing you in action.”

She sighed. “Please behave.”

“I will be on my absolute best behavior.”

As soon as she hung up with him, she was on the phone with Minelli for his approval. She knew he’d approve the consultant because it was a high profile case and she never made any expenditures. One of the longest running jokes around the office was how Saint Teresa was so frugal that she was on a one woman mission to resolve California’s debt crisis. 

She met him out front and reminded him again about keeping their relationship low key before ushering him into her team’s office space.

“Hey, everyone. This is Patrick Jane. He’s going to consult with us on the case in McArthur. Jane, this is my team: Kimball Cho, Grace Van Pelt, and Wayne Rigsby.” She pointed them all out as they greeted him. “Sam Bosco is also joining us on the case as co-lead investigator.”

She noticed Sam grumbled instead of simply greeting him. “A consultant? Why do we need a consultant? You could have at least told me you were considering a consultant. I would’ve told you we didn’t need a consultant.”

His use of the word “consultant” that many times, matched by the increasing disdain in his voice, indicated he was not enthused that Patrick was joining them. She braced herself because he would likely pull out all of the stops to give him a hard time.

“He has knowledge on luxury cars, which seem to be at the center of this case, and he has a specialized set of observational skills. I’ve cleared it with Minelli. We’ve got hotel and meal vouchers for him.” She held up the folder that had all of the forms Patrick had to sign with his vouchers.

“You cleared it with Minelli, but you didn’t clear it with me.” She noticed her team looked away as Patrick stared intently at both of them. 

“I don’t need to clear it with you. You’re being sent along with our team. He’s our consultant. It’s my decision.”

He scoffed. “Ok, I guess. I think those of us who are trained in police work can handle this without bringing in some charlatan with so-called specialized skills, but what the hell do I know? So are we leaving now or do you have another consultant on the way?”

Before she could respond, Patrick interrupted. “You don’t like me. Everyone else greeted me with either mild interest or ambivalence. You came with strong disinterest, dislike even. Why? Have I upset you already?”

Her team was watching again. Sam looked like he was going to blow a vein at any time now. He was a traditional, old school cop with traditional ideas on police work. But she also didn’t quite understand why he was practically fuming that she’d invited a consultant to work the case.

“I believe cops are cops. There’s no need to get others involved. We will basically be babysitting you the whole time.”

“Right.” Patrick responded with a hint of disbelief in his tone. He turned to her. “So should I take my own car?”

“No, we’re riding up together. I don’t have approval for your mileage.”

“Well, if Agent Bosco here finds me objectionable, I’m happy to stay out of his way.”

“Oh no. Agent Bosco wanted us all to ride together. I’ve got the bus checked out. I’ll drive the first leg.” Rigsby responded as he walked past them. He was practically bursting at the seams and straining to hold in the grin threatening to cross his face, the grin that would get him extra paperwork if he flashed it right now.

“Let’s go, everyone.” There was no need to litigate this with Bosco. He had old school ideas on police work and still expected to be in charge of her, his former subordinate, even though they were equals now. No real shock there. They were just losing time now.

The ride up to McArthur was a little strange. She let Sam take the front passenger seat as she sat in the first row of seats between Cho and Patrick. Van Pelt took the back row to give her space to work on her laptop. It was very quiet. Usually, they covered game highlights, listened to music, or did anything that made the ride less quiet and tense before jumping onto horrific crime scenes. When she looked up from her files, she noticed Rigsby glancing back at them in the rearview mirror. She knew Van Pelt and Cho were also watching, but they were always a lot less obvious than Rigsby. It made her giggle every time she thought about how good it was that he chose this side of the law because he would’ve never made it in a life of crime.

When they arrived in McArthur, the local Sheriff took them to tour the crime scenes, explaining in depth their takeaways from each scene. At each scene, Patrick asked to see the cars after walking around the house a bit. True to his word, he’d behaved. 

After arriving back at the police station, she was starving. “Guys, let’s get dinner. We have a lot of work to do here. Let’s cram the case files tonight. Van Pelt, see what surveillance videos can be pulled. Let’s also pull cell phone records just in case.”

With that, they hit the local diner. Sam was still in a funk. When the waitress seated them, she noticed Patrick and Sam had taken up a spot on either side of her. Both of them put a hand on her chair, locking eyes as though they were in a contest to pull out her chair. She glared at both of them as she put her hand in the middle of the chair and pulled hard without saying a word. Yes, Patrick usually pulled her chair out when they went out, but this was a different setting. She was Agent Lisbon, and he was Consultant Jane. Sam had never pulled her chair out in her life, and it was strange that he even tried. She didn’t need men pulling her chair out; she’d handled that for 31 years.

“So Mr. Jane, what are your observational skills?” Van Pelt broke the ice. Dinner conversation had been slow. She wasn’t sure if it was the presence of Jane or of Bosco that made things so tense.

He wiped his face. “It’s easier if I can show you. I can tell each one of you where you are from.” The redhead nodded eagerly as the guys followed suit in nodding their heads. She knew the looks she got for taking the rookie female on her team. Not only was she an invaluable young agent, but she had a personality that worked well with this team.

“Ok, so I just met all of you today. I only know you from today’s interactions. Are we all in agreement on that?”

“Yep, show us what you’ve got.” Cho responded in his typical no-nonsense way, but she’d worked with him long enough to know there was a hint of amusement in his voice.

“Ok, don’t tell me if I’m right until I reach the end. I’ll start with you Agent Cho. You speak with a dialect that puts you around the Bay Area. You’re very direct with a tough exterior, and interior, for that matter, so I’m going to say Oakland.”

“Agent Rigsby. You’re a little softer than Agent Cho.” Cho chuckled as Rigsby scoffed. “Not in a bad way! You just have a softer demeanor, and you’re very comfortable with driving around the area. I’m going to guess you’re a local guy. Sacramento.”

“Agent Van Pelt, you’re incredibly sweet, like middle America kind of sweet. You also have a toughness about you, but one that’s more feminine. It’s not gritty. And from the look of your dinner, you grew up corn fed. Some place in Iowa. Sorry, I don’t know Iowa well enough to tell you where exactly.”

“Agents Lisbon and Bosco...” Oh, this was straight up cheating, but she’d have to allow it. “You both carry a gritty, tough demeanor. But you also have this soft edge that says Midwest. You also speak with a similar dialect, and you always seem like you’re moments away from blurting out that Michael Jordan was the greatest basketball player to ever live in any situation. Chicago.” 

“Well, he was.” Cho and Rigsby were laughing. She picked up her coke to sip out of the straw so that she could smile into it. That last part had been a direct barb at her.

He grinned. “So how did I do?”

Everyone smiled--except Sam. “That’s a nice little parlor trick you’ve got there. But how exactly does that make you qualified for police work?”

Patrick shrugged. “I’m not qualified for police work. I am here to consult.”

Sam guffawed as he threw his napkin on the table. “You’re a wise ass is all I can see.”

“You really don’t like me. You should work through whatever is making you that angry.” She turned her head toward Patrick and mouthed “Stop.” The last thing she needed was the two of them fighting. Thankfully, Sam got up and left. They finished their meals and went back to their rooms.

Within 30 minutes, there was a knock on her door. When she opened the door, Patrick stood on the other side and she quickly pulled him inside before anyone saw him standing outside of her door.

“What part of keeping things low key do you not understand?”

He waved his hand. “No one saw me.” He pulled her in for a kiss.

“That you know of. What the hell was that at dinner?”

“Ask Sam Bosco. He’s the one who’s jealous of me.”

“Jealous of what exactly?” 

“I don’t know.” He scrunched his eyebrows. “What’s the story with you and Sam?”

“He was my boss at SFPD. He trained me.”

“Ah. So then he’s one of the creepy older men then?”

She chuckled. “He’s a colleague.”

“One who’d happily jump at the chance to be in this motel room banging your brains out right now if you’d let him.”

She shook her head. Not this shit already. “Don’t! See, this is what I’m talking about. Don’t get jealous because I’m around men all day long.” 

“I’m not jealous! It’s plain as day. I’m just making an observation.”

“Well, keep it to yourself.” She sat on the side of her bed and crossed her legs. He joined her.

“Ok, I’m sorry I’ve upset you. I didn’t mean anything by it, but I can see that it’s clearly a sensitive topic for you. Has he tried something?”

She rolled her eyes. “He’s never tried anything! It is not like that! Last year, we had some team beef. My team seriously suggested I go talk to him nicely to get him to be more agreeable and give us what we need. They thought it might be like that, but it’s not. I don’t need anyone thinking that. He’s more of a fatherly, mentor type.”

“So four people have noticed that he’s infatuated with you, but you choose to go with ‘he’s fatherly.’ That’s interesting, Teresa.”

She laughed. “It’s the truth! Besides, what did they think I was going to do? Bat my eyes, flash my tits, and he would do whatever I wanted?”

“It would work on me.”

She swatted his arm. “I’m being serious. It’s hard enough getting people to take me seriously when I was promoted ahead of guys with 10-20 years seniority. I want them to listen to me because I am their colleague and have insight just as valuable as theirs. Sam has just always tried to look out for me. You have no need to be jealous or worry that I’d ever ditch you for him.”

“That wasn’t what I was thinking.”

“But isn’t it? Deep down? Patrick, I'm not her.” She grabbed his hand.

“I know that.” He shook his head. “I’m not jealous of him. I am very curious about your level of denial that he sees you as a potential romantic partner. But if you wanted the attention of the men you worked with, you wouldn’t hang out playing pool with guys in a seedy bar. You’d just hang around them. And you wouldn’t have sought me out to work on this case with you.”

“Well, working on the case isn’t the only reason I seek you out. You know that, right?” She placed her hand on his thigh.

“I know, and I understand you wanting to keep your private life and relationships private. It’s a theme with you guys. Like Agents Rigsby and Van Pelt? Totally dating.”

“No. They are not.”

“Yes, they are. Frankly, I’m surprised you haven’t noticed.” She fixed her glare on him as she tightened her grasp on his thigh. “Oh. You have noticed.”

“No, I haven’t noticed anything. Because fraternization is against CBI policy. That’s paperwork and reprimands. As far as I know and from the lack of information of Agents Rigsby and Van Pelt, I don’t know anything to be true.”

He laughed. “I see.”

She sighed. “Between us. Yes, they’re obvious and need to work on being less obvious. What my agents do while off the clock is not my business. They respect my privacy, and I respect their privacy.”

“I can see your appeal to the team. You’re more of a friendly boss who expects the best they have to give, but you’re not an all consuming hard ass. People like that ethos.”

She shrugged. “I guess, but I doubt my boss would see it that way if he knew that I had knowledge of them dating and didn’t do anything about it.”

“They’re in love. What’s there to do about it? But you do know they’re trying to figure out how you knew to call me.”

She moved over him to straddle him. “I know. It’s only natural, and I—“

There was a knock on her door. “Hey Teresa, it’s me. I’m wondering if I could talk to you for a moment.”

Her eyes went wide. What the hell was Sam doing here at her door? She would never, ever let him into her room like this. Besides the rare occasion when space was an issue and there were multiple people in the room, Cho and Rigsby were the only male colleagues she’d ever let into her motel room. It was beyond inappropriate.

“Yeah, he wants to talk to you about me.” She grabbed his face in her hand, covering his mouth to silence him.

“Sure. How about I meet you down in the lobby in 10 minutes?”

“Well, I was wondering if we could speak in private?” In private could’ve been a phone call from their separate rooms. She was sure Patrick was having the same thought right now. 

“I’m a little busy right now. Can’t this wait?”

“It’s kind of important. Will you let me in please?”

She made eye contact with Patrick. She was at a loss. This was weird. Did he already know he was here and wanted to confirm his suspicions?

She mouthed. “Bathroom. Now.” He complied with her command and got to the bathroom quickly and quietly, shutting the door behind him...because that wouldn’t be a red flag that someone else was there.

She ready herself and opened the door. “Hey Sam, what’s up?”

“I wanted to talk to you about this consultant you’ve brought on this case.”

“Jane?”

“Yeah, he needs to go.”

“He needs to go?” She couldn’t believe that after showing up at her motel room unannounced that he had the audacity to make demands right out of the gate. Suddenly, she had flashbacks to when she was a teenager sneaking Robbie G. into her room. Well, that had included a beating from her father and a reminder that he wasn’t raising a no-good whore. Hopefully, that’s not where this was headed. 

“What do you even know about this guy? He doesn’t know the slightest about police work.”

“Well, it’s a good thing we’re on the case, huh? He’s just a subject matter consultant. He knows a lot about luxury cars and he has a special skill set.”

“A special skill set?”

“For observation. He’s hyper attentive. You saw him at dinner. Knowing no one, he used personality clues to guess at their hometowns.”

“How do you even know this guy?”

“I’ve come across him before.” She held back a laugh as an immature part of her brain wanted to add “I’ve also come on him before.” Thankfully, she was well schooled in holding those thoughts in. “Besides, what’s your deal with him? You had to come here and tell me this? This couldn’t be a phone call? I was about to start a workout video.”

He stared at her in disbelief. Ok, maybe she needed better lies, but also, he was way over the line here. “I don’t like him. I think he’s using you to get in on this case for one reason or another. And I never approved a consultant for this case.”

She blinked rapidly a few times while steeling her face. She was definitely seeing red. “As co-lead investigator on this case, I didn’t know I needed your approval for anything, boss.”

“Come on. Don’t be a smart ass. You know what I mean.”

“Don’t be a smart ass? You do know that any point you can stop talking to me like a child, right? You’re not my boss anymore, and this is still my case.”

He sighed deeply. “I want him gone. I think he’s using you as an in here, and I don’t want to see you get hurt because you’re not thinking clearly. What? Did you pick him up at that shithole bar you like to go to? And you think he’s consultant material?”

Her face went white. “Shithole bar?”

“Yeah, Lenny’s or whatever. You really need to go to a better class place. I warned you about that in San Francisco. You should be at a place befitting a lady, not criminals. It’s dangerous especially if one of those thugs turns on you.”

“How the hell do you know what bar I go to or where I spend my time outside of work?”

It was only then that he realized his mistake. “I’m pretty sure you’ve mentioned it.”

“Huh. You’re pretty sure I’ve mentioned it when I know for a fact that the only person who knows I go there would never tell a soul. Is that the story you’re sticking with?”

Just then, Patrick popped out of the bathroom. So much for staying hidden! “Wait! You’re the cop that dropped by Lenny’s, aren’t you?”

She looked side to side. Sam was a bit shocked at Patrick’s sudden appearance, and she was confused by this question. When was Sam ever at that bar?

He swallowed. “I wondered why you weren’t ever coming out with us, especially when I invited you specifically or told you I’d buy you a drink. I got curious.”

“So you followed me?” He nodded. 

“Ah! Now, tell her what you did.” What did he do?

“I’m not talking to you! And this was meant to be a private conversation. Teresa, I told you I wanted to talk privately, but you hid him in your bathroom?”

“You dropped by my room unannounced.” Admittedly, she didn’t have to hide him like they were teenagers doing something wrong, but she didn’t need the grief from Sam. She knew deep down what everyone said about his crush was true. She just never fed into or acknowledged it, hoping it would just go away. She never had interest in him that way, not to mention he was a married man. At the same time, she valued him as her mentor. Years after she no longer worked for him, she felt some need to still please her old boss and mentor. “What exactly did you do, Sam?” 

He was quiet, but she could sense his wheels turning. “He followed you to Lenny’s. When you weren’t there, or maybe were there and you didn’t notice, he came in asking about you. A few months ago, the bartender let me know that you were a cop. He said some cop had come in asking after you. He thought he was your PO at first but he asked questions that revealed your identity. And I mean, Sam here looks like a PO for sure.”

Her jaw hit the floor before he even finished talking. She was enraged, and she could no longer control it. “Ok, so I now have more questions about why you thought it was appropriate to follow a law-abiding citizen on her time off and ask questions about her. So let me clear this up right now. My private life is my private life. Jane is an expert consultant. He stays. And under no circumstances do you ever come knocking on my motel room door again. You coming to my door and basically demanding that I let you into my room is right up there with you following me around town in my time off on the list of really inappropriate things.”

“Teresa, I know you had a rough upbringing, so you want familiarity, but you don’t have to live that way anymore.” He moved to place his hand on her shoulder.

She shrugged away from him. He let his hand hover in the air for a moment before dropping it. “Don’t. Get out. Now. Or this becomes a conversation with Minnelli.”

“A conversation with Minnelli? Over some boyfriend you picked up in a shitty bar? You’d throw away our relationship over…”

“No, let me stop you there, Agent Bosco. You crossed a line. I don’t need you checking up on me during or after work hours.”

He just stood there in place for a moment, looking at her. On principle, she refused to meet his eyes. The nerve of that man thinking he could tail her or that he had any right to dig into her life. He sighed. “Just let me know when you come back to your good senses.”

“Yeah. Ok. Whatever. Don’t ever follow me anywhere again. Get the fuck out of my room. Now!” She ushered him to the door. 

Patrick whistled. “Remind me not to piss you off.”

“Sorry you had to hear that. I cannot fucking believe him.”

“It’s fine. Definitely a creepy older dude.”

“Just stay out of his way. Please?” 

He shrugged. “I’ll do my best. Are they all like that?” They both climbed back into bed as he rubbed her back gently.

She scoffed. “Please. You’d be trying to piss a circle around me if you met Ray Haffner. Sam is just...misguided. He’s always been my mentor. He’s used to being my boss.”

“Mmm he’s tried to groom you. It’s the way he talks to you, reminding you of why he’s right and why you need to listen to him. I’m sure coming back to your good senses means realizing what he has to offer you. I don’t think you two have the same understanding of what your relationship is. He talks to you like a woman he’s interested in, but you talk to him like a fatherly figure.”

She turned to look at him. “He’s married. His wife is a wonderful woman!”

“I’m sure you’re the younger, maybe prettier, model, right? He brought up your upbringing. He sees you as an ideal girlfriend or wife--one that he can fix and mold into whatever he wants. You think he asks you why you don’t clear things with him because he was your boss, but it’s because deep down, he thinks you belong to him.” A look of disgust passed her face as her stomach roiled. The truth of those words haunted her for years until she buried them deep down to wear a face of pure denial.

“I’ve never led him to think that we were anything more than professionals and friends.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong.” He wrapped her in his arms as they reclined on her bed and turned on the tv.

“You have to stay in your room.”

“I know.” He hugged her tighter.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It took three days for them to solve the case. Like she figured he would, Patrick was useful in solving the case. He identified the motive, which helped narrow the pool of suspects. When they had a pool of suspects, he helped them hone in on the culprit.

Because it was already after 7 when they finished up at the station, Teresa determined that they’d return in the morning. “Let’s get dinner, everyone!”

Tonight, since they were finally off the clock, they all settled for the local pub. Contrary to the stereotypes about donuts, cops loved nothing more than a good pub. This one had everything: a decent menu, drinks, pool tables, and tvs. Hell, if everyone didn’t know they were cops, they might’ve even gotten an invite to the backroom poker game that she knew was happening.

Though, once she saw the pool tables, she was chomping at the bit to play. “Ok, who wants to play me?”

Rigsby was the only member of her team to have ever beaten her. Twice. Van Pelt was notoriously bad at pool, and Cho had hated playing her since they were in training together. She used to play with Sam back in San Francisco, and he hadn’t beaten her either. However, he looked a little zoned out. 

He wasn’t exactly friendly with the team, and since their argument the other day, he’d been licking his wounds. It didn’t help matters that Patrick had actually been instrumental in solving the case. Frankly, she had mixed feelings on Sam’s thoughts at the moment because she was still pissed that he thought it appropriate to follow her around town. 

Patrick found it weird that she thought of him as a “fatherly figure,” but it made sense to her. He’d never met her real father. Sam reminded her so much of him that she thought maybe she might actually get his approval. Funny enough, that was the thing she liked least about Sam and it let her stay in denial over his crush, or whatever, for so long. She had no idea where they could go from here.

“So none of you will play the boss? Are you all scared of her or something?” Patrick taunting her team took her out of her thoughts.

“She’s crazy competitive.” Cho responded to the taunt with all of the tact he did not possess.

“I am not!” Her team members laughed at her, and she even saw Patrick grin, which earned him a glare.

“Ok, well, I guess I will play then.” Of course, Patrick volunteered. “I will just have to see for myself how competitive Agent Lisbon is. Do you play for money?”

“No because that would be illegal.” Sam finally spoke up. 

Patrick pulled a $20 bill out of his pocket. “Just a little wager between friends. No need to book us for sports betting or whatever there, copper.” She gave him a warning stare. Relations between those two were icy, at best.

“Keep your money, Jane. I wouldn’t play you for your money.”

“All right. Ladies first.” Everyone watched them intently as she broke the triangle.

Twenty minutes later, they were down to one ball each on the table. Patrick had only ever beaten her once before. She noticed how intently those blue eyes followed her around the table. He was looking for tells. It’s how he beat her the first time--and she couldn’t exactly use her usual methods right here. As he watched her, she figured out that maybe she didn’t need to win this round to actually win. She scratched.

On his next turn, he pocketed his last ball and the eight ball, winning the game. He pumped his fist in the air to celebrate his victory. “That was a fair game, Agent Lisbon.”

“Oh, really?” She stalked over to his side of the table and planted a kiss on his lips.

When she pulled back, he gawked at her in surprise. “Just letting the boys know I’m taken.” She turned around to see everyone was staring at her. “Also, I think that means Van Pelt wins the pool. Didn’t you have before we get back to Sacramento?”

The red head smiled at her. “I did.” She held her hand out, waiting for Cho and Rigsby to give her her earnings. 

“Did you...just let me win to prove a point?”

She tilted her head and smiled at him before she shrugged. “I played you fairly.”

He laughed before looking at Cho. “Do you guys bet on everything?”

Cho shrugged. “Keeps things interesting. So does this mean you’ll be back at game night? That’s how we figured out you were dating. No game night. You didn’t know if we’d get along with the guy. It was pretty easy to figure out it was him because you don’t hang out with random guys who aren’t cops. You knew him well enough to vouch for him on the case. He’s cool, so you’ll be back, right?” 

She looked to Patrick, who shrugged. “Yeah, we’ll even host the next one.”

Van Pelt raised her eyebrows, but thankfully did not ask the question. They’d know when they came over that Patrick lived there. Sam was in the corner practically fuming, but she didn’t care. 

“I guess that means I’ll get the next round.” 

Rigsby slapped Patrick on the back. “Good man! Lisbon, I’ll play you. No kissing though. I don’t think my girlfriend would like it.”

Van Pelt’s face turned beet red. “She wouldn’t? Well, lucky for you, I only play my boyfriend for that right.” Rigsby could get her going because he reminded her of her brothers.

Sometime while she was playing Rigsby, Sam got up to leave. He came over to her, and whispered in her ear. “When you’re done playing house with a charlatan, just know there are men who will actually give you what you need.”

With the entire group’s attention on them, she felt a chill run down her spine. She didn’t need a fight. She returned his comment in kind by whispering in his ear. “You’ve been drinking, and I’m going to pretend you didn’t just say that.”

“Hey Bosco! Are you heading back? I’ll walk with you.” Cho was all over it, and she was thankful that he was here as he walked him out.

She and Risgby kept playing. Van Pelt watched Rigsby with the kind of love she had in her eyes for Patrick. She’d known the two had feelings for each other. Spending any amount of time with them made it obvious they had an attraction, but she watched him with love. Against her better judgment, she mentioned the elephant in the room.

“Ok, you two need to be less obvious.”

“What?” They both replied in unison, causing Rigsby to lose the grip on his cue and miss his target.

She tipped her cue at Patrick. “He figured you out in a matter of hours. I’ve known for months. I don’t say anything because I don’t see anything, and I am not aware of anything. If he noticed, then others in the CBI will eventually take notice. I don’t say anything because your private lives are your own, and you both look so happy. Just reign it in around others, and we can all enjoy our privacy. Ok?”

Van Pelt and Rigsby were still wide eyed. Eventually, Van Pelt spoke. “So you don’t care?”

“Teresa does not care what Grace and Wayne do in their time off. In fact, she wants you to be happy. Agent Lisbon has to care if Agents Van Pelt and Rigsby are breaking the rules. Do you see what I’m saying here?”

She nodded.

“So we’re good?” 

Patrick laughed at Rigsby’s confusion, and he responded before she did. “She’s saying so long as you keep it out of her face and low key at work, you’re solid.”

“Oh. Ok. Thanks, boss.”

“Don’t thank your boss.” She pocketed her last ball as he groaned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here, we have Sam Bosco making an entry into the CBI's Shitty Men Hall of Fame!!


	5. This Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and reviewing!

True to their word, they hosted game night the following Saturday at their house. As luck would have it, the Bulls played a night game. 

As they were having breakfast that morning, he thought he may as well broach the subject. “So not to sound like I’m from a different planet, but what all does game night entail? What does one wear for game night?”

She smiled. “It’s pretty much what it sounds like. We get together, have some food and drinks, and watch a game. It depends on what sport is in season or what playoffs are happening. Sometimes, we also throw in a poker game if teams we don’t care about are playing.”

“So the Bulls are playing tonight…”

“Ah! Very good! That’s the right team. We are watching the Bulls game.”

“So no poker tonight then?”

She wrinkled her nose. “Probably not. They’re my priority team. The guys also like them too because…”

“Jordan and the 1997 championship team are the greatest of all time. Yeah, I got it.” He finished her sentence for her as she swatted his arm. Not his fault she made him watch that entire documentary with her own added commentary.

“But it’s a low key event. Just a bonding exercise, really. We’ve always gotten on well as a unit, and it’s just something that we started doing over time.” She shrugged as she took a bite of her breakfast sandwich.

“Ok, so what should I wear? Jeans and shirt, ok?” Once again, she wrinkled her nose. 

“Actually, I have something for you to wear.” She put her hand up. “Hold on. I’ll be right back.”

She kissed his cheek as she got up and walked to their room. It still felt funny saying that, but it was their shared space. Once they’d gotten used to sharing the space, it was fine. As she came walking back into the kitchen, she held up a black and red jersey with the #23 on it. 

“You can wear my jersey.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Why would you wear such a large jersey?”

She shrugged as she flipped it over. “It was all the store had when my brothers and I went to get them. We scrimped and saved the money to buy jerseys for the better part of a year. I take every pain to keep it in pristine condition. They don’t make them like this anymore.”

Her eyes met his, and she handed it over to him. “Ok, well I will treat it with the most care I possibly could. But if I’m wearing this, what will you wear?”

“I’ve got a dress, too.”

“A dress?” 

She nodded. “It’s a vintage thing. You’ll see.” He loved her commitment to her sports teams. 

“Ok, I wouldn’t want to put you out or anything.”

She scoffed. “Please!”

He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in close to him. “I know my girl is a sports fanatic. Wouldn’t want to come between her and any of her teams.” 

“And it’s a good thing you don’t try.” She smiled softly as he kissed the side of her head. He’d never lied about embracing all of who she is. In fact, every layer that she revealed to him only made him more connected and a little more in love with her. 

Those bright emerald eyes met his as he placed a piece of hair that had fallen out of her bun behind her ear. The way the sun hit her at this angle, she looked like a goddess...or an angel he supposed she would have said. Suddenly, every word Angela said to him when she told him she wanted a divorce hit him like a gut punch. Cold. Monster. Damaged. Deceitful. Selfish. Arrogant. Unlovable. 

Three little words weighed heavily on his chest. He couldn’t bring himself to say the words aloud, even if there was nothing else to describe the way he felt in her presence. What if Angela was right and he was all of those things? He’d known her practically his entire life, so she would know the truth of it. What if Teresa didn’t feel the same way or worst? Even if he was fooling himself, he never wanted this to end.

Before saying the three little words stuck, and burning, in his throat, he pulled back. Seeming not to have noticed his inner turmoil, she grinned at him before getting back to her meal. He couldn’t take his eyes off of her, but he did his best to not be obvious about it. 

Several hours later, Rigsby and Van Pelt arrived. He greeted them at the door.

“Hi there, Wayne and Grace. I assume we’re on a first name basis here?”

The red head giggled awkwardly. “Um, yeah. Those are our names, and you are free to use them! I didn’t exactly expect you to answer the door.”

Ah. Young Grace was already in search of some gossip-worthy material. “Teresa is getting changed, so I thought I’d let you in. I figured you didn’t want to be kept waiting outside.”

A few minutes later, Cho arrived. Unlike the others, he wore his red and black. “Kimball, my man!”

Admittedly, he was much harder to read than Wayne and Grace. His whole demeanor screamed that he was extremely disciplined and focused--probably ex-military. “Don’t call me that.”

“Oh. I’m sorry. I thought first names were…”

The man broke into a smile. “Nah, I’m just screwing with you. That’s fine. Where’s Lisbon?”

“I’m right here! Hey guys!” And boy, was she right there. He didn’t know what exactly he envisioned when she mentioned the dress earlier, but the red and black material hugged every single curve of her body in a way that made her look incredibly appetizing. He was lost in thought as she spoke to their guests. Embracing the sports fanatic in her had been the best decision he ever made.

“Guys, we’ve got plenty of food and drinks! Patrick went to the store for us yesterday, so thank him for making this possible.”

As he took a sip of his beer, Kimball looked him up and down. “So you’re living here, then?” 

He smiled at the man’s forward question as Teresa sputtered. He noticed they were wearing the same sneakers. “Man, you are direct! Hard to read and direct--I like it.”

He shrugged. “So is that a yes?”

“Cho…” Oh, that was an Agent Lisbon warning voice. He’d learned that tone well enough this week. 

“It’s ok. He’s your friend, and he has questions about a strange man that just appeared in your life. I live here. I have been living here for three months. The good Teresa Lisbon took me in off of the streets.” He winked at her while she nudged his arm before shooting him a little grin.

Rigsby scrunched up his face. “You were homeless? You don’t seem like the type to be homeless. You have really nice suits, and your watch probably cost more than I make in a month.”

“You do know that anyone can become homeless, right? It’s about whether you have a residence and not just money.” As a former nomad, that kind of struck a nerve with him. Though, he knew the dark haired man sipping on a beer meant no offense. “I just didn’t have a permanent home. I am going through a divorce.”

Grace’s eyes perked up as Teresa started to gawk at him. Hopefully, he hadn’t embarrassed her with that detail.

“You’re going through a divorce? Right now?”

He nodded. “I am, but never fear. Nothing salacious happened here. I doubt this one would’ve let me get away with THAT.” He wiggled his eyes at her, and she punched his arm.

“Just tell them the story if you’re going to bring to light the fact that I have a still legally married man living in my house.”

She wasn’t upset. In fact, she’d been rather excited when his lawyer reached out a few days ago to tell him that Angela finally agreed to their settlement offer. Of course, Teresa didn’t tell him she was excited, but he could see it in her reaction to the news. The reaction made him curious. He wondered if she thought that she shared him with Angela or if she had some sort of regret for taking up with a man who was technically still married. 

Truthfully, he was glad it was over. Angela would keep the house, the other cars, and everything but his golf clubs and clothes. Though, she could have kept the clubs. He hated the boring ass sport. He only learned to play it because of appearances. 

“My ex-wife cheated on me and decided she’d rather start a new life with her yoga instructor. I met Teresa when we were still hammering out the details of the settlement agreement. I was living out of a hotel at the time, so technically homeless, but I had the means to pay for lodging. Just not much of a will to dive into something permanent at the time.”

He directed his words toward Rigsby, who interrupted. “Point taken.”

“I will say that I’m happy to report we’ve reached a settlement, and my lawyer assures me it will be final in short order. So I will soon be a legally single man living in your house.” He lifted and kissed the back of her hand, bringing a smile to her face. 

They scheduled a meeting for Monday to go over the settlement and sign the papers. Finally, he could close that chapter in his life and hopefully move on with Teresa. Once again, he heard Angela’s words. He shook his head, deciding that he didn’t want to think about Angela anymore tonight. Tonight, he planned to get to know Teresa’s friends--even if she was their boss, this was an activity of friends--better.

“Now, that that’s out of the way, what other questions do you have for me?”

“What do you do for a living exactly?” Cho asked another question.

“I own a car lot. I sell high end stuff. Porsche, Lexus, BMW, Lamborghini, and the like. I sell both used and new. Just depends on what models people are looking for.” 

He heard the taller man gasp. “Like you own it? And that’s your Porcshe out front?”

“I do, and it is.”

“Oh man, that’s so fucking cool!!” It’s like the man in front of him had turned into a child on Christmas morning before his eyes.

“If you come by some time, I’ll let you take a test drive. Grace, what questions do you have?”

With a slight pink tint to her cheeks, obviously slightly taken aback by being put on the spot, she asked her question. “How long have you been seeing each other?”

He looked to Teresa, who had tilted her head. “Nearly four months.”

“And how did you meet?”

“At a bar.”

The red head looked around him. “You picked up a man in a bar? And he didn’t care that you’re a cop?”

Teresa closed her eyes. “Obviously, not.”

“Hmm. If this doesn’t work out, I need to try your bar.”

“Hey!” Wayne clearly feigned offense to get a response from his girlfriend. 

“I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just hard to meet people if you’re a woman and cop.” Grace leaned in and kissed Wayne on the lips before leaning out quickly as though she’d been burned.

“Seriously, I don’t care. We’re not working.” The red head smiled shyly before taking his hand.

“This kind of bar? Probably not your place.” She glared at his comment.

“Oh. So you met at Lenny’s?” “You go to Lenny’s!”

Grace looked on in confusion as both Cho and Rigsby spoke at the same time.

He smiled at both men. “You guys know about Lenny’s?”

Cho spoke up first. “Yeah, I was the one who put her on to their pool tables.”

“And I put him onto the bar. Boss, there are biker gangs that hang around in that place. And you play there? Like you go there alone?”

She shrugged. “I’ve never had any problems. Now that we’ve discussed my pool playing activities…”

“Oh!” Rigsby squealed as he covered his mouth. “You’re her. You’re the Raven.”

“The what?”

“So I’ve heard about this woman. They call her the Raven. She’s described as…” His smile went flat as he suddenly became aware that all eyes were on him and that he probably needed to tone that description down. “Well, she’s described as a nice looking woman. She’ll take your money and break your heart. Twenty to play for a chance to talk to her. You have to beat her first for your chance, but no man can do that.”

Teresa was in a full faced blush. Anyone knowing of her activities out of work was a lot for her. Grace was grinning from ear to ear now. “That’s how you two met. You beat her and won the chance to talk to her?”

“Ah!” Teresa cut in. “I beat him first. He doubled down, and he cheated.”

“I did not cheat! And if anyone is a pool cheat, it’s you.” Their eyes locked. She was challenging him. She wasn’t afraid that he’d mention her flirtatious methods in front of the team. That was clearly implied from Rigsby’s statement. No, she dared him to tell them all how he succumbed to her.

“She won first, but my pride got the better of me. You see, I recognize a good hustle when I see one. She had a good hustle, and I wanted to challenge it. We started talking, and well, fifty dollars was more than worth getting to know Teresa Lisbon.” He leaned into her and kissed her.

Grace laughed. “Oh my. That’s sweet. But I thought it was twenty?”

“For him, it was fifty. I thought he was being an unnecessarily condescending dick.”

“But you still talked to me anyway.”

“Well, after you ordered me a drink and weren’t being overly sleazy about it, I thought I would take the chance. It was a hard call to make, but a good call nonetheless.”

Grace was grinning ear to ear. Clearly, she loved her princess stories as a kid. “That’s sweet. I’m glad you found each other.”

“Any other questions for me then? Or do I get to ask you guys questions now?”

“Yeah, what do you got?” Once again, Cho was on it.

“So how long have you all worked together?”

“I’ve been with Lisbon the longest. Four years total, two of them before she got moved up.”

Rigsby raised his beer bottle. “I’ve been working with her for two years.”

“I’ve been here for 8 months.”

“And how long have you two been dating?”

He saw Teresa raise her eyebrows as she crossed her legs. Obviously, she was ready for someone else’s story now.

Grace answered the question. “Next week will be six months.”

He whistled. “A six month covert operation? Wow, you guys are good.”

Cho laughed at his joke. It was a bit unexpected, but it was nice to get a feel for his sense of humor. Rigbsy and Van Pelt both sat there shyly, looking into each other’s eyes. He could tell they were serious about each other.

“Well, if there are no more questions, should we get onto other business?” 

They all shook their heads before changing the topic to something about a guy in accounting. Teresa leaned back into his side, placing her hand inside of his, as he put his other arm around her shoulders. They sat talking and watching the game, while eating and drinking. 

Luckily, the Bulls won which was very fortunate for him after everyone left. She wouldn’t let him do what he proposed, citing these jerseys were too important and she wouldn’t risk it. He just had to go off of memory for that one.

He never thought he’d have a night where he hung out with cops and wasn’t going to jail. Teresa and her friends were a pretty fun group of people. She continued to challenge and surprise him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After a Sunday spent lounging around the house after a run (yes, she got him running), Monday came quickly. He dressed in his favorite suit for the occasion. It reminded him of the day they got married. He had to borrow a suit that was two sizes too big from one of the performers who had been to court a bunch of times. Life certainly had changed a lot since then. Now, he had an assortment of clothes that he could wear. He’d once read that “clothes make the man.” He didn’t know if that was true, but it sure gave him a rush to put on this suit and take his life back.

Teresa was already in the kitchen packing their lunches. No matter how many times he told her she didn’t have to, she still did it. And well, it was a kindness that he’d come to appreciate. He skipped fewer meals than ever before.

She greeted him with a kiss. “You look nice today.”

“Oh? Do I?” He kissed her again. Another reason he’d picked this one was because he knew she also loved it.

“It was a compliment, Mr. Jane. Don’t let it go to your head.”

“No worries. Just acknowledging that it’s a compliment I seem to get from you whenever I wear a vest, Miss Lisbon.”

She laughed. “So what time is it?”

“I meet my lawyer at 10. We’re going to go over the document one last time before we sign.”

“Sounds great.” 

He walked up behind her as she packed their sandwiches into plastic containers and wrapped his arms around her waist. “It does, doesn’t it?”

Before she could respond, her phone rang. “Shit. I have to get that. It’s probably a case.”

She placed his lunch bag--a nice reusable bag that she invested in for him, citing that it kept food longer--on the counter in front of him. He kissed her once more before they parted for their own individual journeys for the day.

Unfortunately, he did not know this morning would be the only bright spot of this day. As he arrived to meet with his lawyer, he noticed Angela’s car sitting in the parking lot. She jumped out of her car, greeting him before he could reach the office door.

“Paddy. We need to talk.” Paddy. She hadn’t called him that in a long time.

“I thought we were here to sign the settlement. My lawyer is waiting inside.” Shit. He hoped she wasn’t trying to renegotiate the settlement again. At this point, he was ready to throw in whatever else she needed to just make this stop. He didn’t understand how people could draw this out for so long. 

She shook her head, her long blonde curls falling over her shoulder. Oh. She curled her hair. “Well, yes. But I don’t think we should sign.”

Without being extremely obvious about it, he gave her a once over. Her bright blue eyes practically bore into him. He noticed she was wearing the blue dress that he bought her on her last birthday. Well, the last one they spent together. He saw a young woman at his dealership wearing it and found out where he could buy one for her. He specifically loved that dress on her because it brought out the blue in her eyes and was a perfect cut for her. She also wore the strappy gold heels that he used to take off for her after a night out--with her wedding band. She’d dressed for him.

“Why shouldn’t we sign?”

“Paddy, we are better together. We always have been. I think...we should just try to resolve this. Divorce is such a drastic solution.”

“I’m sorry. What?” His mouth went dry as he reigned in his breathing. He couldn’t believe he had heard her correctly. In fact, it sounded like the same thing he told her about a week after he discovered her infidelity. That was when she told him to fuck off because she would never let him near her again and rattled off every thing that was wrong with him. 

She grabbed his hand in hers. It felt like he was being burned, so he withdrew it quickly. “Where’s your wedding band, honey?”

He recalled the night he met Teresa, which put a slight smirk on his face. “I honestly couldn’t tell you. I lost it. Doesn’t matter though.”

“Paddy, I don’t want a divorce, and I know you don’t either.” 

“I don’t want a divorce? You don’t want a divorce?”

She shook her head as her hair tousled back and forth. He used to get a thrill out of those curls. Now, he could only think of Teresa’s dark, fresh from the shower curls. These curls just seemed overly polished and fake, much like the last years of their marriage.

”I wanna work through this. I want to save us. We have always been great together. Let’s be Paddy and Angie again.” 

“It’s funny. I said that months ago.” Months ago, when he would have pathetically overlooked that she cheated on him in his own bed and felt no remorse for it.

“We can work through this, Paddy. We can have a baby.”

His eyes widened in shock. “A baby?” 

“Sure, we’ve talked about starting a family. What better way to bring us back together for a fresh start?” She spoke with a hopefulness in her voice, and he actually thought he might be sick.

“Are you fucking kidding me? Do you think I would use a baby--another human being--to slap a bandaid on something that’s already beyond repair?”

“Don’t talk like that. Come on. You were the one who told me that you’d always be here waiting and willing to work this out. I’m here now.” True. He also said that months ago, but so much had changed since then.

“No. I’m not interested in getting back together. For the better part of the year, we’ve been working out this divorce settlement. I’m not sure what’s changed in your life to make you rethink this, but no. Absolutely not. I stopped waiting and moved on.”

She giggled flirtatiously. “Please. We’ve been together since we were kids. We can overcome this.”

“Yeah, we were kids who clung to each other. We don’t have to anymore. I don’t want to be with someone who thinks I am a horrible person.”

She sighed. “Baby, I spoke in anger.”

“In anger? Were you the one being cheated on or doing the cheating? I’m starting to get confused as to who did something wrong here. You made me feel like the shittiest, most unlovable person on the planet. You called me damaged, toxic, and deceitful among other things. You made it perfectly clear that our lives aren’t compatible. Why the hell would I try to fix that? I can guarantee you that I’ve made no changes over the last several months beyond moving on with someone who embraces me.”

“Please. Whoever she is, it’s not serious. We both know that.” That made his blood boil. She didn’t know Teresa or how happy that wonderful woman made his life. She brought new meaning to his life. Angela was his past, and he didn’t understand her sudden fixation on continuing this.

“You don’t know a damn thing! I’m tired of whatever games you’re trying to play. I’ve paid thousands in legal fees. I’m going to go speak with my lawyer and make sure we’re good to go on this settlement.” He turned to walk away.

She reached out to take his hand. When he withdrew it, she placed her hand on his forearm. “Please, Paddy. I made a mistake, and I think we can work through this. I’m sorry. I will do whatever you want to make it right.” She was begging him. Angela didn’t beg for anything. She knew how to place suggestions well, but she never begged. From the tone of her voice, it suddenly hit him what brought this on. It was desperation.

With his back to her, he closed his eyes before he spoke again. “He left you, didn’t he?” He turned to see her with her head bowed. “And you’re pregnant, right? That’s why you’re so sure a baby can fix this. So cuckolding was part of your plan. Or were you going to wait until I was so enamored again that I would let anything slide?”

She spoke with a shaky voice. “Paddy…”

“Oh come on! Don’t ‘Paddy’ me! What? Was the settlement not big enough for Thomas?” He laughed darkly, but he saw her reach for the tear falling down her cheek. “Oh my God, that’s it. You didn’t get a big enough settlement for him.”

She raised her head again. “It’s not what you think.”

He slowly nodded his head before speaking again, making sure to keep his voice low and steady. “It is exactly what I think. You were trying to secure the settlement he wanted. You wanted to take the life that I was building for us--from the ground up--and put it in the hands of a man you saw as a better alternative.” He bent over and started to laugh. “This was a failed con! And now, you are crawling back and begging me to take you back?”

“Please. We can work this out.”

He straightened his composure. Though he’d been laughing, the woman in front of him, the one who he once bore so much love for, now disgusted him. “No, we can’t, Angela. I’m not a fucking doormat! Did you ever even love me, or was I simply a meal ticket and long con?”

“It’s not like that.”

“From where I’m standing, it is. You took a gamble and you lost. Big time. Like I said, I’ve moved on.” 

“Who is this woman? Surely, it’s nothing like what we had. I’m willing to admit that I’ve made mistakes and that I hurt you. We both went off and had a little fun for a while. Now, it’s time for us to come back together, like we’ve always been.”

Now, this conversation took a turn for the pathetic. He couldn’t make out whether she even believed the words she was saying. It’s like she was trying to see what would stick, and that pissed him off. Of all people, she knew that he could see through it. She didn’t care whether he saw it or not. She hoped to find whatever power she had over him to get him to do what she wanted--and that was the true insult here. He worked hard to keep his rage inside. No matter how angry he was at this moment, he wouldn’t stoop to screaming at a pregnant woman outside of his lawyer’s office. No, he was going to handle this is a dignified manner and be done.

“You don’t get to decide that. There’s nothing you can say or do to get me to come back for more of whatever bullshit you’re thinking of. I gave you everything, and you were my world. You decided that you didn’t want what we had. You made it beyond clear, and why you think I’d ever come back for more of that bullshit because your little boyfriend was just using you is beyond me. That situation is your problem now. You wanted this, and you got it. I’m done. I hope you can find peace with your child.”

He walked away quickly, but she called out to him. “Please. Just tell me what I can do.”

He stopped and looked at his watch. “You can sign this settlement in about an hour and give me my life back.” He heard her sobs, but he never even looked back.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

She and her lawyer were a few minutes late. Those few minutes filled him with dread because he feared she would try to get out of signing. Ultimately, they showed.

“Patrick, are you sure you want to do this? We don’t have to do this.” He could tell she’d been crying. Another version of him would’ve cared, might’ve even tried consoling her by assuming some of the blame. Now, he could only think about how absolutely none of this was his fault and that he couldn’t wait to be out of this room.

“Just sign the damn papers. I honestly have nothing else to say to you.”

As he left the lawyer’s office, cutting him one final check for his expenses and feeling finally free, he checked his phone. He had two missed calls, a voice mail, and a text from Teresa. For some reason, that sent off a panic alarm inside of him. He immediately dialed the voice mail.

“Hey, babe. I hope everything went ok this morning. I planned to surprise you with dinner, but we got called out of town again, so you’ll have to take a rain check. I just wanted to let you know I might not be back for a few days. I’ll call you tonight from my hotel room.” She paused. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

Ok, it wasn’t the worst case scenario that he’d envisioned. It just really sucked because he looked forward to seeing her and holding her in his arms tonight.

He sent her a text message. “Got your voicemail. Papers are signed. Just call me tonight. I miss you already, but put my tax dollars to work and go fight crime!”

She responded. “I miss you, too. By the way, those are our tax dollars.” With a smiley face on the end, that was all that he would get from her once she got into Agent Lisbon mode. He loved watching her work last week. Seeing her passion and drive for her position, along with the care she had for Kimball, Grace, and Wayne, was an eye opening experience for him.

He drove to his office and got settled in. When he finally calmed down and his stomach settled, he was very happy that Teresa made his lunch this morning. Since she was out of town, he used his evening to make up for lost time this morning and get paperwork done. Nothing bored him more than paperwork, but it was a necessary evil. Otherwise, the State of California would be after him. He grinned thinking about someone at the CBI sending Teresa to arrest him.

Teresa called him not long after he got home with his takeout dinner.

“Hey, babe.”

“Hey. How are you doing?”

“Good. Just finished dinner with the team. It looks like this case might be a quick solve. I’m hoping to get back tomorrow night.”

He chuckled. “Don’t rush to get back on my account. Hey, can we FaceTime?”

She sighed. “I would, but the WiFi here isn’t great.”

“Okay. I was just hoping to see your beautiful face.”

“Patrick, if you want me to send a picture of my tits, just say so.”

That got a real hearty laugh out of him. “Sexting, Teresa? Really? No, I much prefer the real thing. I can wait. A little waiting sometimes does a man some good.”

She returned his laugh. “Fair enough. What are you having for dinner?”

“I stopped for Thai.”

“Hmmm. Make sure you get some veggies in tomorrow. This morning, I pre-chopped and packaged a bunch of stuff for lunches this week, so you can just grab some things out of the fridge.”

“Yes, mom.”

“Shut up!”

There was a brief pause. He didn’t mind listening to her breathe. They’d done that before when she was out on a particularly trying case. She was stressed and couldn’t sleep. She called him, and he lulled her to sleep. He sat there listening to her steady, even breathing until he followed suit. Only, this time, he could tell this was more of a pregnant pause.

“You want to know how this morning went?”

“I do.”

“It was...well, honestly, I’m still trying to process it. She showed up and made a plea with me to get back together.” He heard her take a sharp breath. “But I am not remotely interested. I told her the only thing I wanted was to finally end this. She eventually signed the papers.”

“Oh.” Her voice was deflated.

“Like I said, she signed. I made my final payment to the lawyer. It’s done.”

“I see. Well, it sounds like you are a single man again.”

He smiled. “I don’t think my girlfriend would see it that way.”

“Good call.” He could practically hear her smiling on the other end of the line. He imagined it was one of her perfect smiles where she flashed her teeth at him. He fell asleep thinking of that image. The next morning, he was sure to grab his veggies before heading out.


	6. Unkiss Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and commenting! It is possible this may end on a cliffhanger of sorts...so instead of getting out the pitchforks, if you hate cliffhangers, maybe wait until the next chapter is posted tomorrow to read this one!

She didn’t get back in town from that mildly boring case until mid-day on Wednesday. Deciding to use some of her personal time off, she let the team know she was out for the day. She hit the grocery store and went for a run before Patrick got in. About a month ago, he started running with her, but he didn’t quite enjoy running as many times a week as she did. 

After her shower, she prepared the pot roast she bought for dinner, putting it in the oven before settling in with a glass of wine, her soft blanket, and a book she’d been wanting to read. Though, it was hard to focus because she was worried about Patrick. As usual, they spoke each night she was gone, but he seemed off. He sounded a lot more like the man she’d met that night at Lenny’s instead of the man she’d come to know over the last several months, almost cold and detached. His confession that Angela had tried to revive their relationship threw her for a loop because everything suggested that she was the one who wanted to end things while he wanted to fight for their marriage. She needed to see him, to touch him, to feel that he was still here with her.

She fell asleep reading, but she woke with a slight start when she heard Patrick come in a few hours later. Hearing giggling coming from the kitchen, she grabbed her glass of wine and went to greet him.

“Hey, babe, I thought I heard you come in….” She trailed off as she came around the corner and noticed a blonde haired woman standing next to Patrick in the kitchen, laughing with her arm linked in his.

She stood there in silence for a moment, mouth agape as she stared at the scene in front of her. “Hey, Teresa. I didn’t realize you were back.”

“I got in earlier and took a half day. Who’s this?”

“Oh. This is my wife, Angela.”

“Your wife?” She felt her heart start racing. “I thought you signed the settlement agreement on Monday? You are divorced.”

The blonde haired woman giggled again. “Oh please, don’t tell me this pathetic creature is who you’ve been shacking up with!”

“Shacking up?” She was so confused and her heart rate was only picking up.

“I didn’t sign it. Angela and I are reconciling. Isn’t that great?”

She heard glass shatter as her wine glass fell to the floor. “Getting back together? But...but...I thought we were together and making plans. I...love you.”

Patrick and Angela turned to look at each other. They both started cackling. She didn’t know what kind of sick joke this was, but she didn’t like it as tears started to stream down her face. “Teresa, how could I ever love a broken woman like you when I have a real woman? Anyway, Angela will be staying here for a bit. I hope you don’t mind.” He grabbed the blonde haired woman’s cheek and started kissing her as she stood, stuck in the same spot and unable to move. She watched him kiss this woman in her own house, and all she could do was cry.

“But...I love you…”

“Teresa!” She woke with a gasp to Patrick standing over her.

“Hey there, sleepyhead.” He kissed her on the forehead. “Bad dream?”

It took her a moment to come back to her senses, but “bad dream” didn’t begin to cover it. It was her worst nightmare.

He reached out for her hand to help her up, kissing her on the lips in the process. “I’m glad you’re back. I missed you.”

She forced a smile on her face, reminding herself it was just a dream and that it would all be ok in just a moment. “I missed you, too. There’s a pot roast in the oven.”

“It smells good.” He tilted his head, looking into her eyes, almost like he was searching for something. “Are you sure you’re ok?”

She nodded, trying her best to smile. “I’m fine.”

She felt her stomach rumble, and he must have heard it too. He smiled at her. “Sounds like you’re ready to eat some of this delicious pot roast.”

She grinned at that. “You haven’t even tried it yet.”

“Meh. You’ve never made a bad meal. I’m sure of it.” Holding her hand, he led her into the kitchen. “Besides, I brought you a treat.”

“A treat?” As she entered the kitchen, she saw it there on the counter. He’d brought a strawberry pie home for them. “Oh, this looks good. Thanks, babe.” 

“It’s good to have you home.” He kissed the side of her head before getting dishes out for them to use. “The dishwasher hasn’t been run yet. I’ll start that after dinner. No sense in wasting water!” 

She just smiled at that. They did have a rather nice system going. 

As they ate dinner, he filled her in on his rather uneventful day. He asked about her day, but all she could think of was the nightmare she had before he got home, so she wasn’t the most talkative. She couldn’t shake it, even if he was sitting here sharing the most mundane dinner with her. She knew her fears were illogical, but still, her heart beat fast.

After dinner, they cuddled together on the couch for a bit before bed. She was trying to read her book again as he watched one of those cop shows. At first, he said he was trying to learn the lingo, but now, she was pretty sure he was addicted. His addiction to a tv show about cops--especially after proclaiming not to be into tv--made her laugh. But the show annoyed the crap out of her; it’s not like they got anything right!

Neither of them initiated sex when they went to bed that night, which wasn’t unusual. Some nights, the intimacy of being held was something that one or both of them sought. That’s what tonight was. As she cradled into his side, placed her hand on his chest, and laid her head in the crook of his neck, he draped his arm around her and kissed her forehead. Unsatisfied with just that, she found his lips and kissed them softly. She was glad to be home with him.

The next morning, she woke up still cradled in Patrick’s side. Looking at his sleeping form made her heart beat fast, as a warm feeling rushed over her. It wasn’t sexual desire. It was...well, she had never put the word to what it was. 

He groaned as her alarm graduated to a louder tone to ensure she was up. “Sorry.”

“It’s ok. Time to get the day started.” He sounded adorable when he spoke in his still sleepy voice. She wished they could just avoid the world and spend the day in bed today, but duty called. Before getting out of bed, she kissed his cheek. She’d definitely have to come back in here to make sure he was up after her run.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Pouring herself another cup of coffee, she walked through the bullpen. It was case file day for the team. They were trying to catch up on their files, and it never hurt for her to make an appearance, especially as she noticed Cho and Rigsby playing paper football out of the corner of her eye as she walked by. Miraculously, they were typing away quickly as she entered their office space.

“Hey Van Pelt, I need the report on the Cleary case as soon as you can get it to me. The DA wants to review it tomorrow.”

“So soon?”

She scoffed. “Yeah. I’m pretty sure it’s just to annoy me. What kind of lawyer actually works on a Friday?”

The redhead laughed. “I’ll get it to you this afternoon.” 

“Thank you.” She walked back to her office, making a mental list of tasks she needed to complete before her next coffee break. As she turned the corner approaching her office, she noticed a blonde haired woman standing near her door. The well-dressed woman with a large rock on her finger carried a designer handbag and shoes that cost more than her bi-weekly take home pay. She definitely was not the type to be hanging around a police station unless she didn’t have business to tend to, so she thought she would help the woman find where she was going.

“Hi, you look a little lost. Can I help you?”

The woman smiled widely at her. “Yes. I’m looking for Teresa Lisbon.”

“Ah. You’ve found her!” The woman’s smile slipped, and she noticed that her bright blue eyes gave her a once over. That was a bit strange, but undoubtedly, that wouldn’t be the strangest thing to happen in this building today. “How can I help you?”

“I thought that you would be a secretary. I just expected something different, I guess.”

She blinked and shook her head. “I’m sorry? I’m a supervisory agent. Is there something I can help you with?”

“Um, yes. I think it’s best we talk in your office.”

“Ok, but what is this about?”

“I’m Angela Jane.” She schooled her face as her heart fell into her stomach. What the hell was she doing here? How did she even know to come here?

She unlocked her office door. “Come in and have a seat.”

“What can I do for you, Angela?” The woman made a show of fixing her dress, straightening her back, and crossing her legs like a proper lady before speaking. Not that he had ever described Angela, but the woman before reeked of the kind of refinement that 11 years of Catholic school hadn’t managed to instill in her. It was hard to imagine her ever living a life in the carnival; she looked like she came straight out of a Bel-Air prep school.

“Teresa, I’m here to speak to you woman to woman.”

She furrowed her eyebrows in curiosity. “Ok.”

“I have asked Patrick to return home so that we can properly reconcile.”

“I’m sorry, but what does this have to do with me? This sounds like a conversation for the two of you.”

The woman smiled at her again. This time, it was a smile she recognized. It was the same smile that Molly, a girl from high school, would always plaster to her face before calling her white trash. “So here’s the thing, Teresa. I’ve spoken to him, but you see, he’s rather misguided. But I know you will see things my way.”

“Misguided?”

“He’s like a puppy. He’s latched onto you. You’ve got him wrapped around your finger, but you’ve both had your fun. He’s probably showered you in gifts and attention. But I’m afraid you’ve found yourself in a rather temporary situation. It’s time for you to send him home. ”

She shook her head. “I...did you just compare a grown man to a puppy?”

The other woman laughed casually and waved her hand at her. “Oh please, you don’t know him the way I do. Honestly, and I don’t mean to be rude, you’re not even his type. I’m not sure how the two of you got together or where you expect this to head, but I can guarantee it’s not going anywhere.”

She conjured a smile to bite back the rage simmering just beneath the surface. “His type?”

“You’re a cop...and not...well, surely, you know, right?”

“No, I don’t. Why don’t you tell me?”

“You’re beautiful in your own way, but you’re not exactly what he’s looking for in a woman. Paddy has certain expectations. You’re a little rough around the edges, and I doubt you even run in the same circles. I’m sure it’s been fun for a while, but it’s time for him to come home. Besides, I’m sure this isn’t that serious. Paddy has a hard time with any type of commitment.”

“Yeah, no. I don’t think I have anything to add to this conversation. I think it’s time for you to go. This is between the two of you. I don’t control what he does. And how did you even find me?”

“I just researched the address his papers are going to now. Also, you let him live with you? Surely, you know he’s more than capable of purchasing a place. If he was serious about this divorce, he would’ve bought a house. He doesn’t like being transient. It’s a childhood trauma of sorts, but it’s nice of you to give him a temporary place to stay.”

She could feel the heat pooling in her cheeks. This woman needed to go before she said something she’d regret. “Again, I think that’s between the two of you.”

“Teresa, I’m here asking you to do the right thing. Don’t be a homewrecker. I’m sure working around a lot of men, you have ample opportunities to meet men who are...a little more of your stature. But surely, the wives of the men you work with would not appreciate having a woman who has no issues stealing men around their husbands.”

Teresa shot up from her desk and walked to the door. “Ok, you need to go. Now!”

She stood and smoothed down her dress like she’d asked for help moving a coffee table, not like she just called her an unpretty homewrecker. “I’m just asking that you do the right thing.”

Teresa marched to the door and opened it for the woman to exit. The words were out of her mouth, and much louder than she anticipated, before she knew it. “Yeah, well I would take that under advisement from someone who knows the difference between the right thing and her yoga instructor’s penis.”

“Are you serious, you homewrecking bitch?” Angela screamed it so loud that she was sure the entire floor heard it.

“Ok, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. Like I said, this is between the two of you. Just go. Please.” She really hadn’t meant to escalate the situation. She pointed toward the elevators, but Angela stayed planted firmly in place. Great, she was going to make a scene out of this. She’d just given her the ammo she was looking for to embarrass the shit out of her in her own office. 

“Don’t you dare judge me. I could judge you. I still have the moral high ground here. I’m his wife; you’re his whore.”

“No, you really don’t. Please go.” Of course, of all people, Sam Bosco came walking around the corner. 

“Hey, Lisbon, is everything ok?”

Before she could say anything, Angela was once again off. “No, it’s not ok. I came to talk to you woman to woman to get you to understand…”

“And I told you this is none of my business and asked you to leave.” She didn’t imagine Angela was the kind of woman to have ever been asked to leave many places without getting exactly what she came for. This was likely a new experience for her.

“Just send my husband home to me.”

“He’s not your husband. Not anymore. And...you know what? I’m not going to do this. I’m not fighting with you. This was inappropriate from the start. Go!” She gestured to the elevator once more.

Angela turned to look at Sam, who just stood there gawking at them. “Are you married? This trashy whore is into married men. Maybe you’re free?”

Teresa’s face was beet red as she noticed a crowd gathering. She couldn’t speak because the next words out of her mouth were most likely to be followed by a fist to Angela’s face. While it was the way she would’ve handled this situation in a different lifetime back home, assaulting Angela would not help this situation. The paperwork alone made it unworthwhile. She was usually a great conflict manager, but this woman managed to jab every nerve she had. There was one word she hated being called above all others, and she’d managed to use it twice.

Bosco exhaled loudly. “Yeah, no. I don’t know what’s going on here, but it’s really time for you to go.” Rigsby, who had shown up at some time during all of this, came over, while Cho ushered people back to their desks. “Please walk Miss…”

“It’s Mrs. Jane.”

“Please walk Mrs. Jane out.”

As Rigsby walked Angela away, she finally found her will to speak again. “And tell security she’s not to be let up here again without an escort.” 

Rigsby nodded. “You got it, boss.” 

She went back into her office and held her head in her hands. She did her best to avoid the spotlight in office water cooler talk. As a supervisory agent, and a woman at that, any drama was sure to spread quickly. She could practically hear the smug whispering about how Saint Teresa had fallen. She damn sure wasn’t looking forward to the stares and awkward pauses whenever she entered a room for the next few months.

Of course, she couldn’t even have this moment of peace because Sam followed her into her office. He just stood there at her doorway for a moment. Even with her head buried into her desk, she could feel him staring at her, judging her. Eventually, he took a seat across from her in the same chair Angela had occupied moments before.

“He’s married.” It wasn’t a question; it was a statement, one that carried judgment. She was already so pissed off that she was seeing red. She couldn’t possibly dig into the irony of that right now.

“No, they were separated months before I even met him. They finally just came to terms on their settlement and signed it on Monday.”

Sam shrugged. “So his wife is trying to reconcile and get out of that settlement. He’s still married.”

Her head shot up. “Sam! I don’t need your commentary! He’s not married. She fucking cheated on him!”

“Doesn’t make much of a difference, does it?”

“I’m really confused and just want to line up how many more times I have to be called a bitch, whore, or trash today before I fucking snap.” She could feel tears welling in her eyes, but she fought hard to hold them back. She was not crying in her office. There was no crying in the CBI.

“Teresa, I would never call you any of those things.” Good. Because she would actually hit him. “I could tell something was off with him. He’s using you.”

“Using me for what?!”

He sighed. “You’re a beautiful woman with a kind heart. You want to see the good in him, but guys like him...I’ve seen it before. He’s got money. Whatever mess he has with his wife...these are the games of the rich. He’s going to chew you up and spit you out. Maybe he’ll go back to her. Maybe he’ll find a different model of her, but as beautiful and wonderful as you are, it’s not going to work. You’re too different.”

“Always nice to be reminded that I’m a second rate woman.” Maybe he should find Angela so they could conference on their views of her and report back together. 

“That’s not what I mean. Any man would be lucky to have you. A guy like that is looking for flash.”

“You know, I’m going to get out of here. Let the rumors simmer some while I’m not around.”

She grabbed her bag and made to walk out of her office. Sam grabbed her forearm. “Wait. I just don’t want to see you get hurt. Look at you. You’re going to run away and cry...and maybe hit the bottle. Don’t deny it. You deserve to be treated like a queen. There are men who will do right by you. This is just a temporary situation, and that’s fine. Don’t let it get in your head. You know I’m right.”

Even in her constant state of denial about Sam, his eyes broadcast loud and clear the true meaning behind his words. Patrick saw it last week. For not the first time in her life, she realized maybe she was just trash to be used and discarded. If her father were here, he would surely laugh at how she’d done it again.

“Sam, I’ve gotta go.” She yanked her arm away from him and practically ran down the staircase to the parking lot. She made it to her car just in time for the tears that had threatened to leave her eyes earlier to finally fall. 

She called Patrick from her car. Here was just as good a place as any.

“Hey, babe, what’s up?”

“Um, I just wanted to talk to you.” She wiped a tear away from her cheek, still hoping there was a plausible explanation for this.

“Oh ok. It’s unlike you to call during a work day. Is everything ok?”

“It’s...no, it’s not ok actually.”

“What’s going on?”

“Angela just came to my office.”

“She did what?”

“Yeah, let me--and my entire office--know that I’m a ‘homewrecking bitch.’ Is there something I need to know, Patrick?”

“She called you what?”

“A homewrecking bitch. Also a trashy whore. Please answer my question.”

“There’s nothing you need to know. I don’t know why she was at your...how did she know where you worked? Or your name for that matter?”

“She said that she searched the address on your court papers.”

“Wow. That’s a lot of work for her to put in for anything.” He chuckled.

“Are you seriously laughing right now?”

“No. Well, yes. I’m sorry. Look, Teresa, just ignore whatever she said. I’ve told her I’m not interested in reconciling with her. I’m done with her nonsense.”

“Well, she told me to send you home to her and away from this temporary situation. So it seems like she doesn’t quite have the same understanding that you do.”

“Then, that’s her problem. Teresa, you’re overreacting.”

“I’m overreacting?! She was in my fucking office, and she had a meltdown in the fucking hallway in front of people I have to look in the eye who now think I’m some trashy woman!”

“We both know that’s not true. That’s all that matters.”

“So when they’re talking about me, or their wives get super clammy at the next agency picnic, it doesn’t matter because at least we know the truth?”

He sighed. “Teresa, I can’t control what Angela does.”

“Why does she think there’s a chance you will come back to her?”

“There’s not.”

“You were distant the other night, almost like you were considering what she said.”

“What exactly are you accusing me of?”

“Did you consider going back to her?”

“I told you. I’m not interested in going back...what the hell did she say to you?”

“That you’re loyal to her, and you didn’t answer my question.”

“I’m not loyal to her, and if you’re accusing me of seeing her behind your back, I’ve not gone anywhere. I spend every evening with you. When would I have time? Is that what she’s saying?”

“You still didn’t answer my question.”

“I told you I’m not interested in going back to her! What else do you want me to say?”

“Did you let her think there was a chance you would go back to her? Yes or no.”

He paused. “Yes, but it’s not what you think at all. Can we talk about this in person tonight?”

She bit back a sob. She could never compete with Angela. She was gorgeous and probably every bit the perfect wife for him. Sam was right. She was different than they were. He wouldn’t have to spin a web of sweet words for her sake or spare her feelings. 

“I knew this would happen. I knew I would fall deeply in love with you and you would go back to your wife.”

“Teresa, no…”

“Don’t worry. You don’t have to let me down easy. In fact, let me make it easy for you: just go back to your wife, Patrick.” She hung up the phone, and she drove home. She walked straight to their bedroom. Well, she guessed it was hers alone once more. She took off her shirt and slacks before falling into bed and curling into a ball.

She picked up her phone to see several missed calls and texts from him--and a few from Bosco and Minelli. She couldn’t deal with any of them right now. She sat her phone face down on the nightstand and let the dam holding in all of her rage and pain break as she sobbed like she hadn’t in years. She wondered if her mother was here if she would cradle her in her lap, stroke her hair, and say sweet things to her...or would her father burst in and remind her that is what happens to no good whores who think they’re better than everyone else?

In the end, this was all her own fault. Casual sex was one thing, but she knew better than to fall in love. Yet, she fell for the blue eyes, golden curls, handsome smile, and sweet words anyway. She really thought he felt it too. Every moment they’d ever spent together was so vibrant and real like he really saw her--but maybe it was all a lie. Sometimes, she needed to see things that weren’t there, but her worst nightmare was real. Now, she’d have to forget every memory, every dream involving Patrick Jane and find a way to protect herself again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to let you know that in addition to the song, Unkiss Me, I drew on Red Badge and most of the back half of season 6 for Lisbon's characterization in this chapter. It always strikes me how she's just holding in this barely suppressed rage and feeling like maybe she's not good enough. I wanted to explore that here. Can't wait to see what comes next!


	7. (S)he Will Be Loved

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and reviewing! This chapter resolves the cliffhanger of the last chapter. Before reading, please note: chapters 6 and 7 were posted on the SAME day (depending on your time zone). Just make sure you read chapter 6 first or chapter 7 will not make much sense--or maybe it will and maybe the writing really is terrible lol.

His phone call with Teresa left him reeling. His heart was racing, his mouth was dry, and he couldn't believe what he heard her say. Teresa meant the world to him. "Going home” to Angela had never crossed his mind. He had no home with Angela; Teresa was his home. He had no idea what Angela said to her to evoke this reaction from her. Now, she wasn’t responding to any of his calls or texts. As a last resort, he called her office.

“CBI. This is Agent Cho speaking.”

“Kimball, this is Patrick. Is Teresa around?” The other man was quiet for a moment. “If she is, it’s important. I’d like to speak to her please.”

“She’s not. She left not long after your wife was here.”

While the agent was always very direct and a bit hard to read, he could certainly tell he was upset and holding back. “What happened?”

“Your wife…”

“Ex-wife.”

“Well, whoever she is caused a big scene. She was screaming at her in the hallway. People came and were watching. She accused her of being a homewrecker. She yelled some other really messed up stuff as well.”

“Shit. I don’t suppose there’s a CBI newsletter where I could set the record straight, is there?” It was a thinly veiled attempt at humor that fell flat.

“No. Call her cell.”

“She’s not picking up.”

Cho sighed and went silent for a moment before speaking again. “Are you serious about her?”

“Yes.”

“Have you ever told her that? Because she is serious enough to introduce you to us, even to include you on a case. She doesn’t just do something like that unless she’s serious about the guy she’s seeing. In fact, I’ve never known her to do it.”

He thought through their moments together. As much as he loved her, he never said the words aloud. The possibility of rejection frightened him, but he spent all of his time with her. He dreamed of a future with her. Surely, that meant something. “Not in words--but I am serious about her.”

“You need to go home. Go see her in person. Show her you’re serious and tell her what you want.”

He regarded the other man’s words for a moment. “You’re right. Thank you, Kimball.”

“Don’t thank me. She’s a good woman, and she deserves nothing but love and respect. She just got berated in front of a live audience and called horrible things. Obviously, she’s already called you, and you failed to smooth the situation over with what she needed to hear. You need to go make this right. If you can’t do that, then don’t bother to call me again.” With that, the line went dead.

Almost as soon as Kimball hung up, he was out of his chair. Without any other care in the world, he was on his way home to her. He needed to tell her the things that burned his chest. He debated stopping to buy her a consolatory gift. Maybe he should stop for flowers or some sweets first. He wasn’t sure whether she would appreciate it if he had something in his hands or not. They’d never even had the smallest fight before.

While he was trying to figure that out, he did have one thought. He dialed Angela’s number.

“Hello?”

“What the fuck did you do?”

“Well, hello to you too, Paddy.”

“Don’t start. What did you do?”

“I told your precious little girlfriend the truth of things. It’s a temporary situation she’s found herself in.”

“What truth? It’s hard to keep up with your truths these days.”

“That you’re more likely to come back to me than stay with her in that little shack. And really, Paddy? A cop? You must be joking. Was she just a good lay? Did she help you out of some tickets? Did she give you a place to sleep and lick your wounds? I still know how to satisfy your needs, if that’s what this is about.”

Suddenly, it hit him what had upset Teresa so much. Angela was a damn good manipulator. Without a doubt, she hit every one of Teresa’s buttons, making her feel unworthy. The worst part? This was absolutely his fault. His fear of rejection and failing to tell Teresa what he felt left her exposed to that manipulation.

“Angela, there is absolutely nothing you could do to satisfy me. Teresa is honest, beautiful, and she has a good heart. And here’s the best part. Listen closely because I mean this from the bottom of my heart: you’re my past, and she’s my future. Go off and make something of yourself. You have a mansion and a nice little alimony check coming your way. Find your own future for you and your child. Whatever that future is: it’s not my concern anymore. I want nothing to do with you. Do not contact either of us again. I will get a restraining order against you.”

“Paddy…” 

“Or better yet, let me say this in words that might actually impact you. If you continue with this, I will contact my attorney to revisit your alimony payments. How about that?” He hung up the phone. He couldn’t be bothered with any of her pleas as he pulled into the floral shop parking lot. Once upon a time, he would have felt bad for talking to her that way or for threatening her with money. Right now, only Teresa mattered. He needed to make things right with her, to protect their future.

Her SUV was in the driveway as he pulled in. The house was quiet when he entered. He went upstairs to their bedroom, with the floral arrangement in his arms. The door was locked, so he knocked on it.

At first there was no answer, so he knocked again. Eventually, she croaked out some words. “I need you to sleep in the guest bedroom tonight. The sheets are in the closet.”

He let out a deep sigh. “I’ll sleep in the guest bedroom if that’s what you want, but I need you to open the door please. We need to talk.”

He waited a few minutes, but she never opened the door. He put his ear to the door. Based on the sound of her voice when she told him to sleep in the guest bedroom and the sniffles, he figured she was crying.

He knocked again. “Please, Teresa. We need to talk. I can talk through the door, but I don’t think that’s the most effective way to communicate.”

Nothing. He could still hear her sniffles. He really wanted her to open the door so he could take her in his arms and explain exactly how this had all been a big mistake. She truly believed he didn’t love her and that he would leave. The idea that anything he did or did not do made her weep made him feel sick. He didn’t mind standing here all night if it meant the chance to see her, to let her know that she is loved.

He tried again. “Teresa, please open the door? I just want a chance to explain please.”

“Go away!” This was much more forceful than her earlier rebuke. He stood there for a moment in contemplation. Ordinarily, he wouldn’t push someone to speak to him, but she was too important. He couldn’t just walk away, even if it was to the room across the hall. Twenty feet away and a night apart while her worst fears festered would be the nail in the coffin. “I can still hear you breathing!”

He made one last play. He felt foolish, almost like a teenager, but he’d do it anyway. It didn’t matter. His pride for her tears was a worthy trade off in his books. 

He cleared his throat before he started crooning. “Baby, please try to forgive me. Stay here, don’t put out the glow. Hold me now, don’t bother. If every minute it makes me weaker, you can save me from the man that I’ve become. Oh yeah. Looking back on the things I’ve done, I was trying to be someone. I played my part, kept you in the dark. Now let me show you the shape of my heart.”

As he continued singing, the bedroom door swung open. A red, puffy faced Teresa Lisbon stood in front of him. “Are you singing the Backstreet Boys to me?”

She was clearly trying to clean her face, but the damage was done as her tears and runny makeup were more than apparent. He lifted her cheek and wiped her eyes with his thumbs. He didn’t care what she looked like, but he needed the tears that were like daggers to his heart to disappear.

“I was. I’ve downloaded all of the CDs I saw on your shelves to get a feel for your musical tastes. I thought it was an appropriate song, and well, I don’t have a boombox for the full 80s movie effect.” She made a half snort, half scoff noise that was caught in her throat. “I thought singing it instead of putting my cell phone to the door would have more of an effect.”

“I guess you were right about that.” She moved back a bit. “So talk.”

“I’m sorry for telling you that you were overreacting. I didn’t tell you everything that happened the other day, but it wasn’t because I was hiding anything. I was still processing it all, but I don’t think that matters until I say this other thing that you need to know first.”

He took both of her hands in his. Her grip was weak and she looked away from him. That wouldn’t do. “Teresa Lisbon, I love you.” 

He paused as her red eyes met his. It didn’t take him long to determine the best course of action here. “I love everything about you and who you are. I love waking up next to you every morning. I look forward to coming home every night to see you. Even when you’re not in town, the thought that I’ll get to talk to you--and be in your presence--every day no matter what thrills me. Without any doubts or qualifications, I want what we have. And I want a future together. I don’t want to lose you. No, returning to Angela never crossed my mind when she brought it up Monday. But I did tell her once that I would always be there if she changed her mind. She may have changed her mind, but so did I. When I met you, everything changed. Every day, you show me what it is to truly love and to be loved. I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”

They stood there, in the doorway, for a moment gazing at each other. He saw another tear fall from her eye. “And I never want you to cry because of me again.”

“I’m not crying.” She made to wipe her face again, but he beat her to it. Even with the black streaks running down her face and her distorted makeup, she was still the most beautiful woman in the world. It pained him that he’d caused her such distress.

“Of course not. It’s just a saline solution coming out of your eyes in abundance.”

She laughed at that as he squeezed her hands. “I love you, too. And honestly? Losing you is my worst nightmare. I’ve never felt this way before, but if you’re even remotely thinking about…”

He shook his head vigorously. “I’m not. Come here.” He led her to their bed, where they both sat on the edge. Grabbing a tissue, he started to clean her face.

“I told you that Angela and I met at the carnival. What I didn’t mention is that she has a knack for manipulation. She hit all of your buttons, which is my fault, so I’m sorry. I’m not interested in going back to her. At all. Ever.”

“Well, what are you still processing?”

“It was all a con. Her yoga instructor left her after she didn’t secure a large enough settlement for him. Now, she’s pregnant with his kid. She wants me back to raise the kid with her. Well, and to provide a general sense of comfort for her lifestyle. I guess, I never thought she would do that. From an early age, I could spot a con, but I never sensed the one under my nose. She was manipulating me.”

“So she wanted you to raise another guy’s kid?”

“Basically.”

“And I’m the homewrecking bitch?”

“You’re not. Not even close. You gave me a home, a purpose. I meant every word I said a little bit ago. I love you. I want to build a life, and make plans, with you. I don’t want to live in fear of rejection anymore or in her shadow.”

“Her shadow?”

He hesitated for a moment. “I’ve known that I love you since the moment you asked me to move in. Maybe before then even. That was just the moment that I knew for sure. All I could hear was Angela calling me toxic, deceitful, mean...basically just an awful person. I was afraid that if she’d known me my entire life, then it must be true. But Monday...that was the first time I ever saw her for who she was. I started thinking about how meaningless those words were. And Teresa, you deserve better than that, so again, I’m sorry.”

“No, not for that. You never have to apologize because someone else hurt you. Besides, none of that is true. I really hope you know that. The night we met I understood that you were hurting, but also, there was something in your presence that told me you weren’t just some pompous jerk.” She brought her hand to his cheek. “I sensed that there was something kind, sincere, and genuine about you. And over these last months, that’s exactly the man you’ve shown yourself to be--and that’s the man I’ve grown to love.”

He regarded her words for a moment, feeling his own eyes getting wet. “But that doesn’t mean I can hold back on you. You’ve given me so much, and I need to give you this. So every day, from here to eternity, I will let you know that you’re an amazing, beautiful woman who I love with my entire heart. From now on, it’s just me and you. You deserve that.”

She smiled, placing her hand inside of his. “I hope you know that’s what you deserve, too.”

“Aww. You think I’m a beautiful woman? I’m touched, but…” She swatted at his arm.

“I’m sorry too. I just...I’m not always good at communicating my feelings either. I was afraid you’d leave and go back to her. It’s something that’s weighed on me for a while. I’ve had actual nightmares where you were with her again. It was like everything she said, and then what Sam said, just confirmed it. I should have heard you out.”

“What Sam said?”

“Oh, he was there. He was the one who finally had her escorted out. I was seconds away from socking her in the face. Of course, knowing what I know now, I may very well have hauled off and hit her. She made me feel like absolute trash, in my own office. Then, Sam started telling me how I wasn’t in your league, and in the end, I would just get hurt. It was like all of my fears were confirmed.”

“He said that?”

“Well, not in those words. But he did basically tell me I couldn’t compete with her.”

“Well, if he thinks so highly of her, she’d probably take him if he’s willing to support her lifestyle.” She laughed as she leaned her head on his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head. “You don’t compete with her in any way. She’s not in your league.”

“It’s just seeing her. We’re nothing alike.”

“Out of curiosity, was she dressed nicely?”

“Yes. Why?”

“She dressed up to gain an edge on you. Once she figured out you worked at the CBI, she had to know that you didn’t have a lot of money. She hoped you would see her as sophisticated and listen to her words. It was smoke and mirrors.”

“Smoke and mirrors?”

“She did something similar on Monday. She curled her hair, put on a dress I bought her, and wore her wedding ring. She was performing for me like she was for you.”

“But she…”

“Was fancy and refined. To put it simply: she was flashing my wealth in front of your face to make you see she is something that she is definitely not. I don’t care what handbag or shoes you’re wearing. Hell, it never mattered to me when I was married to her. She wanted those things, and I was happy to provide them. I only care that you’re happy. So if you want, we can always take my credit card, go down to LA, and go crazy on your next weekend off.”

“I’m afraid handbags aren’t really my thing. But shoes?” She bobbed her head as though she were thinking which made him laugh. She flashed him a smile in return. “I really did try to diffuse the situation because I didn’t want to engage, but she wasn’t having it. I escalated it when she suggested that I do the right thing. She pushed you away and told me she had the moral high ground as your wife.”

He shook his head. “You didn’t say or do anything wrong. She was out of line, and her main purpose was to rattle you to achieve her goal.”

“Well, it worked.”

“No, it didn’t.”

Her red eyes, now drying out, looked up to meet his. “What do you mean?”

“Teresa, we’re sitting here talking. She misread the situation so bad and underestimated the strength of our bond. She didn’t achieve anything, but us? Look at us. We’re together. We’re only going to be stronger than ever.” He squeezed her hand as she laced their fingers together. 

“I guess that’s true. What do you want for dinner?”

“I think we have some of that delicious pot roast still, right?”

“Yep.”

He looked at her, meeting her eyes. “So makeup sex before or after dinner?”

No sooner than he finished his question, he heard her stomach grumble. “So I’ll take that as an after.” She smiled shyly at him. “Hey, no need to be shy. I said I love everything about you. That includes your appetite.”

“Wow, you’re such a trailblazer!”

She immediately got to work warming up dinner. “I wish you’d let me do that sometimes.” 

“I’m just reheating food. It’s not that big of a deal.” Really, he didn’t mind it this time. She either forgot she wasn’t wearing anything but her tank top and panties or she didn’t care. And well, he enjoyed the view. As he was admiring her, she turned to face him. “Did you really download my CDs?”

“I did!” He grabbed his phone from his pocket. Walking up behind her, he placed the phone on the counter.

She smiled. “Songs About Teresa? You named a playlist for me?”

“Well, every song made me think of you.” He kissed the side of her head. “How about a little dinner music?”

He pressed shuffle and let the songs play at random. She continued what she was doing as he unloaded the dishwasher and set the table. A few few songs later, he noticed that her hips began to gently sway to the beat of the song. 

He wasn’t sure what possessed him in that moment. He’d listened to that particular song more than a few times himself, always conjuring an image of her in his mind. Walking up behind her, he placed his hands on her hips and steadied them. He urged her back from the counter where she stood. As she turned to face him, he took her hands in his. He drew her close to him as they swayed to the words of the song. She laid her head over his heart, almost like she was listening to his heartbeat. He wanted to tease her about the sentimentality of it, but suddenly, he had no words. He wanted her to hear how his heartbeat for her.

The rock song continued to play. He held her closely, and she kept a tight grip on him. “More than words is all you have to do to make it real.” 

There they stood, dancing in their kitchen to a 90s rock song. Holding her, inhaling her, feeling her touch as they clung to each other in both need and passion--nothing had ever felt more real to him in his life. 

More than words, they both had to find the courage to embrace love over broken smiles and empty words. They would both be loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of you may notice that this title is a slight variation on Maroon 5's "She Will Be Loved." That's because I wanted to meld this chapter and the last together: both of them will be loved. Also, if you saw me sneak "Shape of My Heart" and "More than Words" into this Maroon 5 song fic, yes you did! We love our 90s ballads! Never too many songs for Jisbon, amirite?
> 
> Thanks for hanging in there. I know the last chapter was rough, but as I've said before, I'm a romantic at heart. What comes next? Idk maybe some smut in the next chapter? Would that make it better? See you all next week!


	8. Never Gonna Leave This Bed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! There's a bit of smut at the beginning of the chapter. If it's not your thing, maybe skip to the first line break!

After their dance, she removed their dinner from the oven. Turning to sit the dish on the table, she realized that he’d only set one place setting. But there was also a very lovely bouquet of flowers sitting in the center of the table.

She pointed to the vibrant arrangement which prominently featured her favorite: daisies. “Where did those come from?”

“I got them for you. I wasn’t sure I should come home empty handed...and I wasn’t sure how many strawberry pies we needed in the house at one time.” He smiled shyly at her.

“They’re beautiful. Thank you. So then, are you not planning to eat?” 

His shy smile turned into a grin. She knew well enough to place the “I’m up to something” grin. “I’m definitely planning to eat.” 

He leaned in and placed a hefty portion of meat and veggies on the plate. As he sat down, he took her hand and pulled her into his lap, wrapping his left arm snuggly around her waist. Ah.

“I hope you know I’m starving.”

“Please. You will never starve as long as I’m around.”

“Oh? I’ve never seen you make a meal.” He gathered some of the roast onto the fork and placed it in her mouth.

“I know how to scavenge, and I know how to order takeout. We will be fine.” He kissed her shoulder before he took a bite himself. His lips on her bare skin made her tingle. She realized suddenly just how vulnerable she was. Not long ago, she was curled into a fetal position weeping because she thought she’d lost him. Now, she was sitting here in his lap in nothing more than her underwear as he fed her dinner.

“Is there a reason I couldn’t have my own fork though?”

“Yes. Because I wanted to feed you.”

She grinned as he placed a potato chunk in her mouth. “You know I can feed myself, right?”

“And your point is what exactly?” The hand that was snaked around her waist suddenly, and without warning, pinched her ass. “I’m not doing it right?”

“No, it’s fine. It would go quicker if I had my own utensils.”

“The point is to share a meal together, Teresa.”

“If you insist.”

He pinched her ass again, which made her gasp. “I do insist. Patience, my love.” 

He shifted in the chair, causing friction between them, and eliciting another gasp from her as she pressed her thighs together. His grin told her that he knew exactly what he was doing.

“Are you teasing me, Patrick?” 

“Not at all.” She placed her right hand on top of his, bringing his hand down to the table. She found his lips and began kissing him. In hardly no time at all, he deepened their kiss as he caressed her side with his left hand. With someone else she may have been a lot more self-conscious, especially since they were in the middle of dinner, but as usual, she felt a level of comfort with him that made her throw all caution to the wind.

She tried to shift in his lap to straddle him, but he held her waist tightly so she couldn’t move. She broke their kiss briefly and saw him shaking his head no. Before she registered what was happening, he was sitting her on the table. He wrapped her fully in his embrace, kissing her again. His fingers danced lightly over the cotton fabric of her panties as he drew a figure 8 over her center.

She gasped into his mouth as she felt her need build quickly. He continued touching her as she practically mewled for him. With anyone else, she might have been embarrassed by her reaction to simple touching, but not with him. His touches built a barely containable passion inside of her. Without notice, his lips left hers. 

She groaned, looking up at him. His blue eyes, full of desire, scanned her body. She knew that look, and it filled her with excitement to the core. She took his hand in hers, running her thumb over the back of his hand. He lifted their hands and kissed hers before dropping it. 

He pulled her closer to the edge of the table before getting on his knees. As he slid his hands into the band of her panties, she lifted her hips allowing him to remove them in one quick swipe. He began peppering kisses on her thighs.

She enjoyed his delicate nature, but she needed him. “Patrick...please.”

Apparently, that was all he needed to hear because he inserted his index finger into her center. “Mmmm already so wet for me.”

“Yes. Only for you.” At that, he added a second finger and began pumping in and out of her.

“That’s what I like to hear.” As she began to moan, he began circling her clit with his tongue, sucking at her as he pumped his fingers in and out of her. She grabbed a fistful of his hair in her hands, trying to steady herself and not knock everything off of the table. Her first orgasm came fast and hard as she clenched around his fingers. He never stopped pumping or licking her, prolonging her pleasure and leading into her second orgasm. As he slid his fingers out of her, he peppered kisses onto her thighs again before standing and taking her lips once again.

She unbuckled his belt and yanked his pants and boxers down as he continued to kiss her, eliciting a groan into her mouth. She took his length into her hand and began to massage his cock. She was aware of where she was, but the fire he lit in her made her feel like a carefree teenager. She wanted--needed him--now.

He broke their kiss to step out of his pants. Without shame, her eyes followed him. The way his eyes met hers, never breaking contact as he unbuttoned his shirt, indicated he was playing to his audience. She quickly lifted her own tank top over her head and made quick work of her bra.

He took her hand and pulled her off the table and into his embrace, kissing her once more. Their kisses grew more frantic, making her think she would actually lose her mind if she didn’t have him.

She pulled back. “Patrick. Bed.”

He grinned. “But we’re not finished with dinner.” He kissed her once more before leading her over to the breakfast bar. “Bend over for me.” He pinched her bottom again. While she would never admit it outloud, his commands sent a thrill through her.

Bent over and leaning against the counter, she was completely exposed to him as he kissed his way down her back. She wanted to scream “fuck me now,” but if there was one thing she learned with him, it was that her patience was always well rewarded.

Without warning, his hand came down on her ass hard, causing her to cry out in surprise. His lips were on her shoulders again, peppering kisses along them. He slapped her ass once more, making her so lightheaded she nearly screamed. He slid his hand beneath her, inserting his crooked fingers inside of her and practically pulling her apart at her seams. This time, she did scream.

“I just wanted to make sure that we both agree that you are mine.” The smug bastard was laughing! She couldn’t wait for the payback on this one. 

She twisted her head back, meeting his piercing blue eyes. “Sure, but just so we also agree that you are mine.” 

A wild look formed in his eyes. Without even blinking, he quickly removed his hand and thrust his cock into her. Obviously, her comment landed right where she wanted it. 

They never broke their eye contact as he thrust into her, their hips wildly meeting each other. It was almost embarrassing how close she was already. From the increasing pace of his thrusts and the way his eyes were glazing over, she could tell he was too. Bracing herself on one arm, she reached her other hand behind her. She found the hand that had been steadying her hips and placed into her own. It didn’t take much longer for her to find her release, his not much further behind hers.

Suddenly, he was pulling her back into his chest and kissing her neck. He whispered into her ear. “Of course, I’m yours, my love. I’ll be yours for as long as you want me to be--and even then, I’ll still be yours. I’m never going to leave you.”

She smiled. “Careful. That’s practically a vow.”

He laughed as he released her. As he washed his hands, she slid her shirt and panties back on and grabbed her own fork. Even with her own fork, he pulled her back into his lap to finish their meal.

Pointing to her fork, he asked her: “Couldn’t help yourself, could you?”

“Patrick Jane, I may be yours, but eating at this rate is likely to result in you losing a hand. And I really wouldn’t want that.” 

He grinned at her as he kissed the side of her head. “I’m glad you love me enough to indulge me!”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next morning, she woke in their bed alone. Well, she vaguely remembered him kissing her softly on the lips and telling her he had to go. Whenever he received a new shipment, it wasn’t unusual for him to head out ridiculously early. At least he made her coffee before leaving!

Even though she and Patrick made up, the idea of going into the office made her feel sick. She flirted with the idea of calling out. Though, that would have made the rumors much worse. No, she’d have to go in and face down the prying eyes and loose lips. At least she could confidently tell them to forget what they heard.

There was also the matter of the case files from the day before that she didn’t finish. She’d have to review Grace’s work on the Cleary case to get it to the DA ASAP. Once again, she started her mental list of tasks to complete so she could hit the ground running. From her office, she sent the team a group message to just meet in her office this morning. She had a job to do, but it didn’t mean she was ready to deal with anything that happened yesterday.

“Hey, boss.” All three of her agents spoke practically in unison. From their mixed looks of sympathy and curiosity, it was best to just get it out of the way. 

“You know that I don’t like discussing personal matters at work, but I can see that you are all extremely afraid that you’re walking on eggshells. Patrick and I talked last night, and we worked everything out. Everything is fine.” 

Rigsby received some sort of message that made him look at his phone. Noticing her glare, he immediately spoke up. “Sorry, boss. I’m glad everything is fine.”

“No need to apologize. In fact, I should apologize. I allowed a personal situation to impact this team’s professionalism and integrity, and it’s my responsibility to ensure we stay on task.”

“Are you serious?” She met Cho’s rather stern looking glare.

Van Pelt spoke up. “She caused a scene in the office, and you’re apologizing to us? I don’t think you had any control over that.”

She shook her head. Of course, her guys had her back. It didn’t mean that’s how everyone else in the CBI (and their spouses) would see it that way. “Admittedly, I did not anticipate ever meeting her and definitely not here. However, it has a certain look on me and maybe even for our team. So if you…”

Rigsby laughed out loud, looking down at his phone again. This time he did catch a glare from her. “I’m sorry, Wayne. Is there something you’d like to add?”

He looked guilty, like a child who had just had his hand smacked. “What? No. I’m sorry. I was off task for a moment, but you know Cho set everyone straight yesterday right?”

She immediately looked over at her friend. Yes, her friend. They’d worked together the entire time they had been at the CBI. He was the one who took her for celebratory beers when she got this promotion. It’s where she asked him to join her team. 

Cho just shrugged. “I reminded people of CBI’s harassment policies and told them that repeating demeaning gendered language, or anything else in that ballpark, is a violation of that policy.” 

“Well, thank you all for helping to de-escalate a tense situation. Like I said, Patrick and I are fine. We’ve talked through this.”

They all shared a nod followed by a brief pause. “I finished the Cleary file.” Van Pelt handed her the case file, and with that, it was back to business as usual.

Well, business almost as usual. After she met with her team, she made her way to Minelli’s office to apologize for not answering or returning his calls. Of course, Sam was there. Why wouldn’t he be? She’d actively avoided him all day. She had no plan to return his messages; she needed time to think about whether they were cool after yesterday.

“Hey, boss. I was just wondering if you had a moment.”

“For you, Lisbon? Always. Come on in.” Sam made no attempt to move.

“I realize that you left messages for me yesterday, and I did not respond. I’m sorry for being unresponsive. I was dealing with a personal situation.”

“I heard. I just wanted to make sure you were ok.”

“I’m fine.” From the corner of her eye, she noted that Sam looked at her curiously. 

“You ran out of here in tears.”

She turned sharply on heels to face him. “I did NOT run out of here in tears.” As soon as she said the words, she realized how petulant she must’ve sounded.

He rolled his eyes. “And I’m the King of England.”

Minelli ignored them. “Well, I wanted you to know that you could take the day to get your mind right if you need it. Take the time. I know you have it. I can get another agent to supervise if your team is called up today.”

“Boss, thank you. But it’s not necessary. I straightened everything out yesterday.”

“Oh?” Sam was fishing for the story. 

She smiled. “Patrick and I talked everything out last night, so yes, I straightened it out.”

Once again, he rolled his eyes at her. “If you insist on tying yourself to that charlatan against my advice, I don’t want to hear about it when you get burned again.” This was precisely why she had no intent to return his messages.

“Maybe it’s not for you to give her advice.” Minelli looked at Sam sternly. “That’s all, Agent Bosco.”

Sensing his dismissal, he was out of their boss’s office rather quickly. “Ignore him, Teresa. He means well, but you know your life better than anyone else.”

She nodded. “I know. He thinks he’s helping. Are we good?”

He nodded. “We are. Please let me know if there’s anything I can do, even if it is just talking to this young man and explaining he needs to get his priorities right..”

She laughed, but he returned a very stern look, indicating that he took lining out Patrick, if necessary, very serious. “Ok, well, I have some case files to finish.”

Walking back to her office, she stopped off for some coffee. As she turned around, she noticed that the bullpen was starting to look like a floral shop with several bouquets of colorful flowers, almost all of them featuring daisies, lining the bullpen. She approached Grace’s desk.

“What is all of this?” Looking around, she noticed that half of her team was also missing. “Where are Cho and Rigsby?”

“I’m not exactly sure. Rigsby came and got Cho. Told me they’d be back soon.”

A delivery person brought another bundle of flowers into their office space. She approached her. “Hi there! What is all of this?”

“It’s a special delivery for Teresa Lisbon. I have a few more bouquets to bring up.”

She blinked rapidly. “I’m sorry?”

“I don’t have a card, but you must really have an admirer!”

She laughed nervously, but she caught Grace’s wide smile. “I suppose so.” 

“I was told to decorate the floor and liven the place up a bit. They guy said something about bringing brightness to a special woman’s life.” The woman sent her a knowing smile. 

She smiled at the delivery woman. “Ok, well, don’t let me stop you.”

She went to turn on her heel when she heard his voice. “Whoa. What is all of this? It looks like a flower shop threw up here!”

She sighed softly before steeling her posture and turning to her colleague. “Hello to you too, Ray. What can I do for you?”

He grinned. “I heard you had a little trouble yesterday. I was just coming to check on you and make sure you’re ok.”

“I’m absolutely fine!” She practically shouted, earning her a few passing glances from other colleagues walking past.

“Well, you know, if you ever need to talk or anything, I’m here.” He placed his hand on her shoulder, but she quickly moved to shrug away from him. She noticed the look of distaste that she was feeling inside appear on Grace’s face. Ray Haffner’s desperation was the CBI’s worst kept secret. Under no circumstances would she ever need to speak with him about anything not related to matters of the CBI.

“That’s very kind of you, Ray. However, I’m fine.” 

She became distracted as she noticed another delivery person brought in a very large heart shaped edible arrangement made up of strawberries. “Is Miss Lisbon here?”

She waved to the woman. “That’s me.”

“My instructions were to deliver this one personally to your office. We have more coming.”

“It’s around the corner. Good Lord, how much did he send?”

Haffner raised his eyebrows. “A man who sends flowers and food to give his apology? Really?”

“Um, no. A man who sets the scene before he comes in person to deliver the apology.” She looked up to see Rigsby enter the bullpen with Patrick, who was carrying a medium sized box with a bow on it. He approached them and extended his hand. “I’m Patrick Jane. And you are?”

“Ray Haffner.”

“Ah!” He looked at Ray and back at her. Clearly, he caught onto what Ray was up to as well. “The vultures are already circling, huh?”

Ray’s face drained of color. She smiled at Patrick. Not that she needed beef with Ray, but it was nice to see someone knock the smug smirk off of his face for once. The man was perpetually shooting his shot with her, and she was not at all interested. Not even in the depths of her desperation would she turn to him, but he kept at it. “Not at all. Agent Haffner was just asking if I needed anything. What’s going on? What is all of this?”

“Um, just a moment.” He stopped the delivery woman. “Are the flowers and arrangements all here?”

“Yes, this is the last round.”

“Great.” Sitting the box down, he pulled out two crisp $100 bills and handed one to each woman. 

Both women thanked him in unison before leaving. Cho entered the bull pen with Bosco, Minelli, and several other agents who were on the floor yesterday.

Patrick looked to Cho. “Is this everyone?”

“I think so.”

“What’s he doing here?” Of course, Bosco had folded his arms and was already asking questions she didn’t know the answer to, so she just shrugged in response.

“I can answer that, Agent Bosco. I’ve asked Agents Rigsby and Cho to help gather us all here today for a very important announcement. My name is Patrick Jane. I realize there was some unpleasantness yesterday when my ex-wife barged in here and caused a scene, saying some rather derogatory things about Agent Lisbon here.”

She covered her mouth with one hand in slight embarrassment. She could feel her cheeks turning pink. She knew what he was doing, and it wasn’t meant to embarrass her, but she hated being the center of attention. He reached out for her other arm and pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arm around her waist.

“I just wanted to come in and set the story straight. I know you guys tend to be a rather private bunch, but some details of her personal life were revealed yesterday in a very inaccurate, inappropriate manner. I am madly in love with this woman right here, and even though I am sure I will be regaled for embarrassing her in a moment, I wanted the office gossip to accurately reflect the situation. Teresa Lisbon is a lovely woman who is absolutely none of the things you may have heard my bitter ex-wife refer to her as. I apologize for the disruption I’ve caused, and any embarrassment that I’ve brought to her, in the office. As a show of good will and respect toward this office, I’ve had an assortment of fruit and pastries delivered to compensate. Please enjoy these snacks.”

He kissed the side of her head. Ray was glaring daggers at him. A few of the agents started to clap, which led to more of them clapping. She heard someone call out: “You’re going to make us look bad, man!” There was a bit of laughter after that.

Cho and Rigsby approached. Cho clapped Patrick on the back, as Rigsby shook his hand. Patrick spoke to them. “I owe you both big time. Come by any time, and I’ll let you drive whatever is on the lot.” Both men smiled at that.

She felt her eyes starting to water. She was definitely not crying right here. “Can we talk in my office?”

The hand that had been on her waist was now holding hers. She didn’t even move to distance herself as she would have normally done in the office. He’d just made a very personal, public gesture to affirm that he loved her. The attention may have made her face flush, but it was an incredibly sweet gesture that confirmed their relationship. No need to hide from it now. He scooped the box up in his free hand.

On their way to her office, Minelli stopped them. “So you’re the young man at the center of yesterday’s events, then?”

He nodded. “I am.”

Minelli looked him up and down as Sam rolled his eyes. Clearly, he was unimpressed with Patrick’s public declaration. “Well, I expect that you understand how to treat a lady, and I expect that you will continue to treat Teresa well.” 

“I do, and I have every intention of treating her well.” Minelli clapped Patrick on the back and sent them on their way. She blinked and noticed the shocked look in Sam’s eyes. Surely, he thought he had an ally in their boss. 

Patrick started speaking almost as soon as the office door closed and sat the box down. “I’m sorry I embarrassed you, but I thought the positive embarrassment might offset the negative embarrassment.”

A single tear escaped her eye. “Only you would think like that, Patrick.” She noticed that his face fell a little. Perhaps he expected to be chastised. Perhaps it is what that other woman would’ve done. She leaned in and kissed him on the lips, wrapping both of her arms around his neck. He brought his arms around her back.

“It was a very sweet gesture, baby. Thank you.”

“You’re not mad at me?”

“Not at all. I was a little embarrassed. Being put on the spot will do that to a girl though.”

“Fair enough.” He kissed her again. Remembering she was in her rather exposed office, she leaned out, placing a hand on his chest.

“So what’s in the box?”

He smiled. “Well, it’s a present for you. Open it.”

She untied the ribbon and lifted the lid off the box. In the box, she found a golden necklace with a single, heart shaped emerald stone. 

“It’s beautiful. It almost looks real.”

“Good. Because it is.”

She blinked rapidly a few times. “Patrick…”

“I know. You’re going to say it is too expensive, and you can’t take it. The thing is that I’m not really giving you a choice on accepting that gift. It’s yours.”

She shook her head. “You don’t have to ply me with a gift, especially not something so expensive.”

“I’m not.”

“You don’t have to apologize with money. In fact, you have nothing to apologize for.”

“I know that. It doesn’t mean that I don’t want to treat you with something small when you deserve the world.” He took the box from her hand, removing the necklace. “Turn around.”

Sensing any further protest was futile, she lifted her hair off her neck and turned around. He clasped the necklace around her neck, brushing his fingers lightly against her skin. Without prompting, she turned to face him.

“It looks gorgeous on you, sweetheart.”

She touched the emerald. “I’ll have to take your word for it. Thank you.”

“Well, I should probably head back to my office and let you get some work done. If you don’t get called out, I’d like to take you out tonight.”

She smiled at him. “I’d like that.”

With a goodbye kiss, he was out of her office. She stood still for a moment longer, wondering how she ever thought she could walk away from this perfectly imperfect man that she loved. He saw her in ways that no one had ever seen her or would ever see her again. It brought a feeling of warmth to her chest, but it also frightened her a bit. She’d given all of herself to him, begging him to take more. She’d never done that before. What did it mean for the future? Remembering the tasks she had to complete if she intended to have a work-free weekend, she tried busying herself with work. She’d leave those thoughts for another time.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A little later that afternoon, her phone vibrated on her desk. Looking down, she smiled when she saw the picture of Tommy and Annabeth lighting up her phone. They were the closest in age growing up, and she always loved chatting with her niece. 

“Hey, Tommy.” 

“Reese. How’s it going?”

“Everything here is great. What’s up with you? You don’t sound so great. Is everything ok?”

“Yeah...well, no. It’s Melanie. She left me.”

“She left you?”

“Well, it’s more like a mutual thing. We just aren’t good together at all. She moved out a few months ago. She just filed for a divorce last week.”

“My God. Tommy, I’m so sorry. Where’s Annabeth?”

“She’s...here with me. Mel said she couldn’t be a mom to her and that it’s best that she just stay with me anyway.”

“Oh. How is she taking this?”

“She’s confused, you know? She doesn’t understand why Mel isn’t around or why she hasn’t called. But Reese, the thing is that I don’t think I can do this.”

“You can’t do what?”

“I can’t take care of her.”

“Annabeth?”

“No, it’s just too much. I need to get my life in order.”

“Tommy, what does that mean? She’s five years old! She can’t take care of herself, and you can’t walk away from her. I’m sure she’s confused about her mom leaving, and it’s an adjustment for her just like it is for you.”

“I was just wondering...if you might be able to take her for a while.”

“Take her? What are you saying Tommy?”

He sighed. “Can Annabeth come out and stay with you for a while? Reese, she loves you. She’s always asking when you’re coming for a visit. She misses you, and I think it would be good for her to stay with you for a little bit so I can get everything straightened out. You know, it would be good for her to be with a woman.”

“What’s a little bit, Tommy?”

“I don’t know. Maybe a month or two.”

“A month or two? Isn’t school starting in a few weeks?”

“Yeah, but it’s just kindergarten. You can put her in a school there. She’ll be fine.”

“Put her in a school here? Tommy, that takes papers.”

“Papers?”

“Yeah, like guardianship papers. You know, the kind that give me permission to enroll her in school or take her to the doctor if she needs to go? And what does Mel think about sending Annabeth across the country for a few months during the school year?”

“Reese, she’s not in a good place right now. She says that Annie has always been more mine than hers. She’s saying she doesn’t even know if she wants her rights anymore.”

“What? She’s abandoning her?”

“I don’t know. I guess. I just think that it might help if she got out of here for a bit while I get everything back on track. So what do you say?”

She sighed. Of all the things she expected her brother to ask her for, this was not one of them. “What about having her stay with Stan for a bit? From Chicago to Sacramento is an awfully big transition, especially with school starting.”

“Stan isn’t that stable right now. He just got married. Please, Reese.” Of course, Tommy’s justification for sending his daughter across the country was that everyone else needed to get on with their lives while she was doing nothing and would love to take care of another little Lisbon.

“I think it would be ok, but I need to talk to Patrick first.” 

“Patrick?”

“My boyfriend.”

“Oh that guy you were seeing? Well, it’s up to you, not him.”

“We live together, Tommy.”

“You’re living with some guy?”

“He’s not some guy. We’re in a committed relationship.”

“You barely talk about him, and I’m not supposed to think he’s just some random guy? Is everything ok?”

“I’m a grown woman, Tommy. He’s a great man, and I am doing just fine. Besides, you didn’t even bother telling me about getting separated until you needed something from me.”

There was a bit of silence on the other end of the line. She didn’t mean to throw it in his face, but it’s not like he ever even asked questions about her life. None of them did. They just assumed that she was doing all right unless she said otherwise.

“Fine. It’s your life, and you know what you’re doing. I’d like to send her out over the weekend if that’s ok.”

“Send her out? This weekend? Like tomorrow or the next day?”

“Yeah, I’ll get a plane ticket for her.”

“Tommy, you can’t just put a five year old on a plane! Like I said, we will have to have paperwork to put her in school here.”

“I think I can take care of the paperwork, but I don’t have time to drive her out there.”

She sighed. Of course, he had a half baked plan to send his daughter across the country alone. She had no idea where her former sister-in-law was right now, but she’d love to have words with her, too. “Tommy, let me call you back.” 

Without waiting for a response, she hung up. She immediately dialed Patrick’s number.

“Hey beautiful.”

“Hey. How’s everything going?”

“Great over here. Ready to see you again, though.”

She smiled at that. “I have something to run by you, and unfortunately, I think I am going to throw a small wrench in your weekend plans.”

“Oh? How so?”

“My idiot brother just called.”

“Oh boy. It’s always good when you refer to them as ‘idiot brother’ instead of by name.”

“Tommy called. He wants to know if I can keep Annabeth for a while.”

“His daughter?”

“Apparently, he and his wife are getting divorced. He wants to know if I can keep her for a bit while he gets his affairs in order or whatever.”

“Oh ok. So are you going to keep her? And how long is a bit?”

“Well, I wanted to see what you thought about having a kid in the house. He’s saying a few months. And she’s starting school this year, so I am going to have to get her in school. I’ll have to get all of that worked out.”

“Teresa, she’s your niece. She’s family. If you want her to come out, bring her out.”

“Are you sure? It won’t bother you having a kid around?”

“Not at all. I’d never tell you that your family can’t be around, but how exactly does that mess up my weekend?”

“Well, this is the ‘idiot brother’ part. He wants to put her on a plane out here by herself.”

“A five year old? He wants to put a five year old on a 3 hour flight, alone?”

“Mmmhmm. And not only that, but he’s not quite thought through the fact that I am going to need guardianship papers to get her on the plane and in school. I think I am going to have to fly out to Chicago over the weekend--which is not ideal considering a plane ticket will cost me an arm and a leg right about now. Actually, I might need to put in for emergency PTO early next week. I want to make sure everything is sorted out. And maybe I get there, we just resolve everything, and she stays at home.”

“Ah. It’s not a problem. Let’s both go. In fact, I have a ton of points we can use for the tickets.”

She was silent for a moment. “You don’t have to come out with me.”

“Oh. I didn’t mean to invite myself along or be pushy. I just thought you might like the company. Besides, if his daughter is staying with us, I should probably meet your brother. I can stay home.”

She closed her eyes. He was being supportive, and she prematurely shot him down. “No, it’s ok. I’d love for you to come with me.”

“Yeah?” She could have sworn she heard his smile.

“Yeah. It’ll be nice. We’ll see some of the sites. Are you sure you don’t mind having a five year old around for an extended period of time?”

“Nope. When do you want to go? Tonight or tomorrow morning? How many days? I’ll book the flights and hotel right now.”

“You don’t have to do all of that. Tomorrow morning is probably better so we can pack this evening. I should probably stay until Tuesday, or maybe we could just by single one way tickets? Price can’t be much different now, can it? Let me know what my flight costs. We can stay with Tommy.”

“Do you think he will be ok with us staying together if we’re not married?”

She laughed out loud at that. “Who gives a shit if he’s ok with us staying together? He’s got a laundry list longer than mine. It will be fine.”

“If you think, it’s ok, then I’m fine with that. Love you, baby.”

“Love you, too.”

With that, she hung up and called Tommy to let him know the plan. Of course, Patrick was right. There was a little pushback on them staying at the house. Though, she wasn’t sure if that was about them staying at the house or about them staying together. Even though he was the younger brother, he still gave her a hard time--until she put her foot down.

After talking to Tommy, she looked up a guy she went to school with who was now an attorney in Chicago. He gave her the information she needed to bring Annabeth to Sacramento. Like she thought, she needed to become her guardian which would require Melanie’s approval, too. Hopefully, they’d be able to track her down easily. They might even clear all this up and Annabeth wouldn’t have to come out to Sacramento. She loved her niece and would take her in, no questions asked, but it was a big shift for a little girl.

Before leaving her office, she let Minelli and Cho know that she would most likely be out all next week due to a family emergency. Minelli was right. She had the time, and she might as well take it. Annabeth would need time to settle in and adjust to this change. At least she had Patrick.


	9. Fortune Teller

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little long, but that's ok! It may be two weeks before I post again. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

As promised, he took her out. It was back to Lenny’s again so she could shoot some pool and he could watch her work. While Angela would’ve raised hell at having to set foot in this place just one time, Teresa loved coming here. Not only was she not the kind of woman to think this place beneath her, but Lenny’s had an emotional significance for them now that they both embraced.

After winning her third game of the evening, she approached his chair and took a drink of the beer he ordered her. They agreed to keep it simple with their 5:30am flight. 

“Done already?”

She smiled, flashing her teeth at him. “I was hoping you’d give me a round.” This voice of hers was her version of her batting her eyes at him, and damn if it didn’t work every single time! Even as she begged him to play a round, she never lost her competitive edge. She enjoyed playing the game with him, all the while treating him as any other competitor. He couldn’t quite pin it down, but there was something incredibly hot in how she lured him into the game only to hold him at her complete mercy time and time again.

After he lost, once again, they placed a to go order at a local taco shop. After dinner, they started watching a movie, but that quickly turned into another intimate evening. They didn’t have sex, but she laid in his arms as they peppered kisses on each other. Nothing had ever felt as right as when she let him hold her. 

He hated waking up early on the weekends, but for her, there was no sacrifice too large. At least that’s what he told himself as they drove to the airport early the next morning. They both slept most of the three hour flight to Chicago.

Admittedly, meeting her family made him a bit nervous. With Angela’s family, he had no one to impress. He’d known them his entire life. He didn’t know what Teresa’s brothers would expect of the man involved with their sister. What if they didn’t like him? Worst: what if Annabeth, the five year old he’d be spending considerable time with over the next few months, didn’t like him?

But he was equally excited to meet them. She told him all about her brothers: Tommy, Stan, and Jimmy. He was ready to see yet another side of Teresa. This time, basically seeing her in her natural habitat. He wanted to make that joke when they hit the tarmac, but he could sense that she was anxious.

They got a cab to her brother’s house. It was already near mid-day by the time they arrived. Knocking on the door of the cozy looking house, a rambunctious little girl with dark brown pigtails, holding onto a brown teddy bear, opened the door.

“Aunt Reese!” Almost immediately, she grabbed Teresa into a hug, forcing her to drop to her knees. “Charlie’s happy to see you!”

“Who’s Charlie?” She pulled back and smoothed down the little girl’s hair before placing her hands on her cheeks. He couldn’t help but notice how tightly the little girl squeezed her, almost like she was holding onto a lifeline. 

She pointed to her bear. “This is Charlie. She’s glad she can finally meet you. Who’s your friend?” It was so matter-of-fact that he couldn’t help but giggle at that. In some ways, it was like watching a miniature Teresa. His girlfriend smiled up at him, so he squatted down to Annabeth’s eye level to make introductions.

“I’m Patrick.”

“Hi Patrick. I’m Annabeth. This is Charlie. Are you Aunt Reese’s boyfriend? My daddy keeps saying she’s bringing her ‘damn boyfriend’ along with her.”

He chuckled lightly, but Teresa’s reddening face didn’t escape his notice. No one was more truthful than a child. “That’s me.”

She shrugged her shoulders. “Ok.”

“Annabeth, where’s your daddy?”

She frowned a bit. If he hadn’t seen Teresa’s features in her before, he definitely saw it now. “He’s still sleeping. You can come in, if you want.” With that, she grabbed Teresa’s hand and pulled her through the door.

As they entered through the living area, he noticed the house was a bit unkempt. Clothes and empty food and beverage containers were flung around the living room. He wasn’t exactly born with a spoon in his mouth and he was accustomed to crashing wherever during his carnival years, so it didn’t bother him. However, it was customary to declutter knowing that guests were coming. From the look on her face, he could tell Teresa was having similar thoughts right now.

“Aunt Reese, can we go get breakfast?” Teresa eyed him with suspicion. He didn’t know her brother that well, but he did know they were coming this morning, and it was almost noon. Annabeth would’ve been awake for hours already.

“You haven’t eaten yet, sweetie?”

The little girl shook her head. “I eat cereal, but we ran out yesterday. I think daddy forgot to get some...when he was out.” Her mood seemed to sour a bit as she finished the sentence.

“Well, we can go get breakfast, but I should tell daddy we are here first. I don’t want him to wake up and get scared because you’re gone.” The little girl shrugged her shoulders, but this time, it was a shrug of indifference. “I’ll go get him.”

“He had a sleepover. I think his friend is still here. Are you sleeping over tonight?” 

Teresa’s eyes widened. “We are! I’m just going to go check on daddy and his friend.”

“So Annabeth, what do you and Charlie like to eat?” He engaged the little girl in conversation while Teresa went to wake her brother and his guest. He couldn’t judge the situation. After all, it wasn’t long ago that he was a man whose wife had just left him, leaving him barely able to function. It could really mess someone up.

“What the hell, Tommy? Who is this bitch?” He heard a woman’s voice from the back bedroom.

“I’m his sister. Who the fuck are you? And maybe keep your voice down because his kid is right outside!” Now, that was Teresa. Her accent was heavier than he’d ever heard it before.

“Just calm down! Reese, give us a minute!” 

“Yeah, whatever! Take your time. I’m taking Annabeth to get breakfast.” She slammed the door before reappearing in the kitchen with a fake smile now plastered on her face.

“Let’s go get breakfast!” Annabeth’s face lit up at that declaration.

They walked a few blocks to a local diner. He had to take off his jacket because he started sweating like he was in a sauna. She did warn him that late summer in Chicago would be humid, but he didn’t think it would be that big of a deal. It was nothing like the Northern California climate he was used to.

They ended up at a local diner called Mikey’s. It was a small restaurant that was almost like a corner shop decorated in all kinds of sports memorabilia. He could only make out the different teams and the sport because those things had become familiar to him since meeting Teresa.

“Hey it almost looks like home!” She swatted at his chest playfully.

“Mikey’s has been here longer than I’ve been alive. It’s a neighborhood spot. My first job was here.”

“Oh is that right?” Before he could tease her more, a silver-haired elderly man in a green apron approached them. 

“Little Reese Lisbon, is that you?”

“Mr. Ryan! How are you?” She embraced the older man.

“I’m still standing upright, so I can’t complain too much! I can’t believe you’re here visiting us!”

She smiled at him. “I am here for a few days. My niece, Annabeth, wanted some breakfast, so I thought we would stop by!”

“Oh yeah. Tommy’s little girl.” Almost imperceptibly, the man grimaced a little before turning his attention on him. “And who’s this?”

“This is my boyfriend.”

“Patrick Jane.” He extended his hand to the old man, who had a surprisingly strong grip.

“Hmm. Boyfriend, you said?” The older man was definitely looking him over. He was beginning to wonder if he’d meet a single man in Teresa’s life who wouldn’t immediately size him up and question his intentions with her.

She nodded. “Yep.”

He chuckled. “Well, I suppose if he treats you right, I can’t say anything about it. I am just sad that you won’t consider becoming a Ryan. I’ve been trying to make that work for years!”

She laughed at that as Patrick’s eyes went wide. Was this old man seriously hitting on her right now? He seated them.

“Are you still out in California?”

“I am.”

“Still in the police business?”

“Definitely.”

The older man nudged her shoulder. “That’s my girl! Always a tough one! Are the breakfast specials all right?”

“Yep! And maybe some coffees.”

“Juice for me, please!”

The older man tousled Annabeth’s hair. “You’ve got it, sweet pea.”

“So did I hear him correctly. He’s been trying to marry you for years?”

She cackled, making Annabeth follow suit and giggle. “A man with observational skills like yours, and that was your take away?”

He shrugged. “It’s what it seemed like. Now, I suppose I’m missing something.”

“Look around again.”

There was a lot of Bears memorabilia up with some of the other Chicago teams around. Clearly, Mr. Ryan was a fan of football...ah! He saw it now. There was a photo of a boy with blond hair in a football uniform and another of the same boy but a little older. Looking behind the counter, he saw another of the boy but as a young man in an Illinois uniform standing next to a young Teresa. She was nestled into his side with her head leaned against his chest and his arm around her.

“Ah! I take it the Ryan he wanted to marry you off to is his son.”

She closed her eyes and nodded. “In fact, Little Mikey Ryan was my first boyfriend at the ripe old age of 10.”

“Aunt Reese, you had a boyfriend at 10? Daddy said I can’t have a boyfriend until I’m 30, but I don’t care. Boys are disgusting!”

They both laughed at her proclamation. Teresa responded to her inquiry. “Well, I did, but we broke up after a week. He said I couldn’t be his girlfriend and play hockey with the boys. He said I could only be a cheerleader and watch him play. I didn’t like it, so I said no thank you. Besides, boys are kinda gross, huh?” 

She winked at him, but both of the Lisbon girls grinned at each other. Both of them held a bit of mischief behind their smiles, though for different reasons. He could tell Teresa had kept that story child-friendly for Annabeth’s sake. Later, she would inform him that she and Mikey Ryan tried to make it work a few more times through their teen years. In fact, he was her first lover. It just didn’t work out because even as they got older, he still hoped to tame her while she had other plans. All he knew was that sucked for Mikey.

“So Annabeth, you’re starting school this year?” He didn’t really know of any other conversation starters with five year olds.

The little girl nodded at him as she chewed on her toast. “Yep, but daddy still hasn’t taken me over to the school yet.”

“Are you excited?”

“I guess so. Aunt Reese, will you take me shopping before you leave?”

She swallowed her sip of coffee. “Sure, baby. We can go school shopping.”

Their breakfast came out and they continued chatting while eating. While Teresa admitted she didn’t spend as much time with her niece as she’d like, the little girl clearly looked up to her aunt. After breakfast, they returned to Tommy’s house. His guest was gone and the living room was in a much better state than when they arrived. 

“Hey guys.” Tommy hugged Teresa, but Annabeth didn’t gravitate toward her father. She stayed near his side. It wasn’t peculiar for a child her age to be so taken with a stranger, especially one who had just entertained her through breakfast, but her reaction to her father was a little strange.

He extended his hand for Patrick to take it. Taking his hand, he noticed how shaky his grip was. “I’m sorry about before. I’m Tommy.” 

“Patrick. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise. Sorry for the mess earlier. I didn’t have time to pick up.”

“Not a problem at all.”

“You guys can take the spare room.” 

“Thank you for letting us stay here.” 

“Yeah, sure. So Reese, we should probably talk about the paperwork.”

“I checked into it yesterday, but...have you talked to Annabeth yet?”

He shook his head “no.” From their breakfast conversation, it was beyond clear Annabeth didn’t know why they were there. Briefly, he wondered how the little girl would react, but then, he noticed how tightly she squeezed Charlie now. Tommy seemed anxious to get this done, not like a parent agonizing over separating from their child. Not only did that pretty much confirm his observations and thoughts since their arrival, but he wondered just how temporary this situation was meant to be.

“Well, I think we should talk to her first.” Teresa took Annabeth’s hand and sat down, bringing the little girl to sit next to her. “Annabeth, sweetie, I want to tell you why Patrick and I are here.”

She furrowed her little brows. “Am I in trouble?”

“No, sweetie. You’re not in trouble. Patrick and I are here because we want you to come stay with us for a little while, in California.”

“By the ocean?”

She smiled at the little girl. “Well, we don’t live by the ocean, but we won’t be far. Daddy asked us if you can come visit for a while. We are here to take you back with us if it’s ok with you.”

“Is Daddy coming too?” She finally looked to her father, her bright green eyes alive with hope.

“No, just you.”

“Oh.” Her face fell a bit.

Then, Tommy took a knee next to them. “Sweetie, it will be better for you, and you will have a lot of fun with your Aunt Reese. It’s for the best.”

“You don’t want me here anymore.”

“No!” Teresa exclaimed but very softly. “That’s not what daddy means.”

“Mommy doesn’t want me anymore.”

“That’s not true. It’s not about you. Sometimes, things are hard for adults, Annabeth. Your mommy and daddy want what’s best for you while they work on the hard stuff. That’s all.” Letting Teresa give the answer, Tommy remained silent with his eyes closed. That confirmed his other thought. Her brother wasn’t just working something out; he was fighting demons. It’s why Annabeth lit up at the thought of her father going on a vacation. In the innocence of a child’s mind, it seemed logical to her that a vacation was magic that could return her father to her.

He wondered whether he should tell Teresa--or if she would just get angry at him. After all, he didn’t know her brother even if he could read people really well. He made a split second decision to stay quiet for now.

After a moment of silence for Annabeth to think about things, Teresa spoke again. “So what do you say? You come stay with us for a little while? We’ll have fun, and you can tell people how you went to school in California when you come back to Chicago.” She leaned into the side of the girl’s head. “They’ll think you’re cool.”

Annabeth laughed. “Okay! But can Charlie come too?”

“Of course, Charlie is welcome too! I think we have space for her.”

“And can we go to the ocean?”

“We will go at least once.”

Her little green eyes met his, and he smiled at her. The innocence of children was something beyond precious. Though, he suspected her innocence was starting to erode as she developed demons of her own that led her to think she was unwanted. He recognized that feeling.

That evening, Teresa’s other brothers came over for dinner. Tommy finally went to the store, bringing back some meats for the grill, along with other cookout fixings, three bottles of whisky and a few cases of beer. Since this morning, Teresa seemed a thousand miles away from him--but her mask slipped briefly when she saw what her brother brought back from the store as her eyes filled with disappointment and sadness.

Meeting Jimmy and Stan was fun. They were funny guys, like she had described them. Stan’s wife, Karen, was a bit quiet. She and Teresa were meeting for the first time. Apparently, Stan eloped and she had no time to meet or get to know Karen before now. They made attempts at small talk, but Karen seemed rather uncomfortable. Though whether her discomfort was at meeting her sister-in-law for the first or at being at the house was a bit unclear.

After dinner, they sat in Tommy’s backyard chatting. Of course, Annabeth gravitated toward her aunts, sitting in Teresa’s lap and performing songs for her. Her favorite right now seemed to be the ABC song. At some point, Teresa got Karen to warm up and talk a bit more as Jimmy had a lot of questions for him.

“So what kind of cars do you sell exactly?”

He shrugged. “High end cars that I can get my hands on. Some new and some used. There’s a big market for them in Northern California. People like to show off.”

“And how long have you been doing this?”

“About 15 years total. I started out small before I got to where I’m at now. I used to buy a car or two here and there, restore them, and flip them to sell.”

“Hmm. And how did a fancy car salesman meet my sister? Did she arrest you? I know she sure as hell didn’t buy a fancy car!” Jimmy started laughing as he took a sip of his beer.

He returned the laugh before catching his girlfriend’s glare.

“Shut up, Jimmy!” Her voice was high pitched, indicating her slight embarrassment at her brother’s proclamation.

While Teresa feeling at home in a place like Lenny’s made even more sense after spending some time with her family, he doubted she would appreciate her brothers knowing that whole story. “She didn’t arrest me. We met at a bar.”

He nudged Stan’s shoulder. “You hear that, Stan? Saint Teresa goes to bars and picks up men at bars. I wonder what else we will learn about her new life tonight?”

“Shut up!” It didn’t take long for them to get back into their patterns of teasing each other.

Tommy, who had already made a sizable dent in one bottle of whisky by himself, pulled his chair up next to Patrick. Teresa’s eyes darkened a bit at the sight, but she didn’t say anything. “Please, Jimmy. Same old Reese. She was probably hustling him when they met.”

Patrick laughed. “That’s actually right.” She tried to smack his hand, but instead, he captured her hand, holding it in his own.

“Cards or pool?”

“Pool. She beat me, but then, she gave me the chance to beat her, paving the way for me to make a good impression and steal her heart all at the same time.”

“Oh ha ha ha.” She rolled her eyes at him, but the smile on her face said it all.

“She’s always been good at the game and competitive as all hell. Maybe too good. Certainly too good for Chicago and her family.” He tilted his glass, which was empty. “I need another drink. You guys need anything? Annabeth! It’s time for bed.”

Annabeth started to look tired, battling to keep her eyes open with her head leaned against Teresa’s chest. “But daddy, I want to stay with Aunt Reese.”

“You’ll be with her as much as you want soon enough. You’ll be her problem then. Now, go get your ass ready for bed!”

Teresa hugged her niece. “It’s ok. Do as your daddy says. I’ll be here in the morning. Give your uncles and your Aunt Karen a hug.”

She hugged Teresa and did as she told her. “And maybe learn to listen when I tell you to do something the first time, Annabeth. I won’t have you disobeying me! Get in the house!” Teresa looked like someone had just slapped her across the face. They sat there quietly until both Tommy and Annabeth disappeared into the house.

Karen looked at Stan and motioned toward the driveway. “Well, guys, I think we’re gonna call it a night.”

“How long?” All eyes were on Teresa.

“How long what?” Jimmy spoke up, but he should’ve just stayed quiet.

“Don’t fuck around like you don’t know what I’m talking about. How long has he been drinking?”

There was another moment of silence. Not that he had ever really had to deal with family like this because his dad just did his thing and took off. Though, knowing her past, he couldn’t imagine this felt like a very easy conversation for any of them.

Stan exhaled sharply. “Honestly, I don’t know when it started. It got bad about three months back.” He stopped abruptly, like he wanted to say more.

“What? Just tell me.”

In a show of support, Karen took Stan’s hand before he continued. “Mel left because...well, she has her own problems. He got drunk and beat her. I had to go get him out of lock up. The next day, she brought Annabeth over and said she was going out to wherever she’s from in Indiana to stay with her sister.”

She started rubbing her arms, as if searching for comfort. He put his arm around her shoulders to steady her. There was another exaggerated pause. “Has he hit Annabeth?”

Jimmy spoke up now. “No! I mean, I don’t think so. We try to look out for her.”

“You try to look out for her? Jimmy, she’s five. She needs more than someone just trying to look out for her.”

“T, we have lives to manage, too.”

Even as her anger flared, he could see tears pooling in her eyes. “You have lives to manage?”

Stan spoke. “You live in California. You don’t know what’s going on here. Annabeth actually keeps Tommy squared up. It could be worse.”

Suddenly, the rage that had pooled in her eyes flowed straight out of her mouth. “Mind who the fuck you are talking to right now! I don’t know what’s going on here? If I didn’t suspect something was wrong with the half-baked, hurried plan to ship her out on a plane to me by herself, I sure as hell figured it out when I came in the front door. It’s not her job to keep him squared up. She is a child!”

Both of her brothers looked away in shame as she continued in a tearful voice. “I took the brunt of every one of dad’s drunken tirades. Every time his fists flew, I was at the end of them--not you. When he was done beating me and telling me what a disappointing little bitch of a daughter I was, I cleaned him up when he was so drunk and blacked out that he pissed himself or puked in the bed. I made sure the bills got paid and social services didn’t come knocking on the door. Why? Because good daughters take care of their fathers no matter how bad they treat them. And that’s bullshit is what it is! You--all three of you--got to be kids because I had to be an adult and take care of everything. And who took care of me? Who took care of the teenage girl who lost her mother and had to deal with her father’s constant anger? No one. So don’t you dare tell me it could be worse when you don’t know the first thing about the pain and anger that I carry around to this day! She deserves better, and if her parents can’t do better by her, then we should. We have to.”

There was a heavy silence until Tommy reappeared a few minutes later. Not only had he filled his glass, but he brought a fresh bottle out with him. She wiped the tear that fell down her cheek at the sight of her brother.

Once again, Karen gave Stan the signal. “We’re going to get going. Come here, sis.” He pulled her into a tight hug before looking at him. He stood and took the man’s hand. “You take good care of my sister and my niece out there in California.”

“Will do. It was nice meeting you.”

Jimmy was next. “I guess it’s time for me to get going, too.” He hugged Teresa and shook his hand. With the pace that the brothers left, he wondered if maybe they should also seek other arrangements for the evening. Then, he remembered Teresa told Annabeth that she would be there in the morning. She wouldn’t break her promise to her niece.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next morning, Teresa was already in the kitchen working on breakfast when he woke up. 

“Good morning.” He kissed her lips before pulling her into a hug. Last night was rough for her. More than likely, his presence was all that stood between her and crying herself to sleep. He held her flush against his chest until she fell asleep, whispering into her ear “I’m here now,” “I love you,” and “you are enough.” It was all true, and she would hear it all from now on because he was here to take care of her now. 

“Eww!!” Even before he saw her, Annabeth’s little voice snapped him back to reality.

He turned to see her drawing at the table. “Well, good morning to you too, little lady.”

“I’m sorry, but he doesn’t have any tea. You’ll have to drink coffee or orange juice this morning.”

His eyes widened. “Orange juice, you say? I love orange juice! They still make that one with Donald Duck on the carton?”

Annabeth giggled as Teresa eyed him suspiciously. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, but it’s in a plastic jug in the refrigerator. I’ll grab a glass for you.”

“Is Tommy still asleep?”

“He is--but I told him that if we were up early, that we would go down to Navy Pier. I thought you might like to see it, and it would be a nice day out for Annabeth, too.”

“Oh that sounds great.” It was already after 10. It was not early, and he doubted she told Tommy anything last night. No, she was already in a nesting mode of sorts. She wanted to put on a show for Annabeth that an adult was in charge and everything was fine.

After breakfast, he got his first lesson in taking public transit in Chicago. He was fascinated by the concept that you could basically take a subway everywhere--and people did it! As a car salesman, it could put him out of business, but he wondered why they didn’t do this in California. It might make the traffic situation more manageable.

Navy Pier was a gorgeous sight. Obviously, he’d seen large bodies of water numerous times in his life. He just didn’t expect to see a place like this on a lake with a great view of the city. The views of the city juxtaposed to the wonders of nature were breathtaking. Of course, Annabeth was most interested in the rides and games--and of course, he obliged her on every single one of them. Twice.

With his own upbringing, he wasn’t taken by the rides and games, but Annabeth was having a great time. He even won her a large stuffed animal at the ring toss, which put a smile on her face. Of course, he knew exactly how it was rigged, so it wasn’t that hard to win it for her, but her genuine smile and gratitude made him feel like a superhero. He made a mental note to watch for when his old carnival family would be near Sacramento again.

As they stopped at the sports shop, she tugged on his hand, making him look down at her. “Is it ok if I call you Uncle Patrick?”

She was a child and didn’t quite understand that a title like that meant something more than just being her aunt’s boyfriend. He wasn’t sure how to answer that question, and Teresa was off shopping. Seriously, two days ago, he would’ve sworn that she didn’t have it in her. Now, she had clothing and blankets draped over her arms with smaller trinkets in her hands. He had no idea how they were getting that back home without buying another suitcase, and he’d have to rush the register to try to pay for at least the stuff she was holding that was meant for him to wear on game night. But the hopeful look in Annabeth’s sparkling eyes determined how he would answer her question.

“Yeah, I think that’s fine. I’d like that.”

The little girl squeezed his hand and hugged his side. Well, obviously, now he had a duty to spoil the absolute hell out of her!

As he expected, when he met Teresa at the register, she argued with him about trying to pay. 

“I picked this stuff out, and I’m buying it!”

“Um, no. You’re not. Most of that is for me. I’m paying.”

The woman behind the register rolled her eyes in annoyance at them. “Maybe you could settle it up later because I have a line.”

That was his window. He nudged Teresa over, and slid his card into the reader. He’d catch hell later, but he wasn’t letting her drop hundreds of dollars on stuff for him. She never asked him for anything, but he would happily get her anything she wanted.

She huffed. “Fine, but dinner is on me.”

“Dinner is on you.” He kissed the side of her head as Annabeth giggled once again. At least they kept her entertained.

For dinner, they got back on the train and went into the city to eat at a nice pizzeria. He was finally able to try the pizza that she talked about nonstop, while declaring everything in Sacramento was just ok.

As their drinks arrived, he teased her. “Tonight is the test of whether your pizza opinions are valid.”

“Um, they are very valid. You will see. We have the best pizza in the world. Right, Annabeth?”

The little girl nodded vigorously. “Right!”

“Hmm. Clearly you indoctrinate them young here.”

She threw her straw paper at him. “Quiet.”

Their round, flat pizza arrived with toppings that she called “around the world.” He expected that she would make him try a deep dish, but it didn’t look appealing to him, so he was glad she went with this other version. She took the spatula and started apportioning slices.

“Chicago’s finest. Dig in!”

One bite in, and it was the richest, most flavorful pizza he’d ever tasted. He could see where she was coming from, but he wasn’t necessarily ready to admit that. He let the fact that he ate nearly half of the large pizza himself do the talking. Of course, she had a smug look on her face as she settled up the bill so they could head back to Tommy’s.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As promised, Tommy got Melanie’s signature. The wonders of the technology age never ceased to amaze him in how all of this could be done over the internet because by the end of the day, she’d signed the paperwork. He was also drunk when they got back.

Before Tommy sent her to bed, Annabeth gave Teresa a hug. “Good night, Aunt Reese.” 

“Good night, baby.” 

Then, to his slight surprise but definitely to Teresa and Tommy’s surprise, she gave him a hug. “Good night, Uncle Patrick.”

“Good night, Annabeth.” She really was a sweet child.

“Annabeth…” He knew what she was going to say, so he stopped her right there.

“It’s ok.” As Tommy went to get Annabeth to bed, she looked at him questioningly. 

“She asked me earlier if she could call me ‘Uncle Patrick.’ I really don’t mind, and besides, it’s a way that she can process an attachment to me with her child’s mind.”

“Oh ok. Well, as long as you don’t mind.”

He smiled before pressing a chaste kiss to her lips. “I don’t. I’ll go see what I can find for us tomorrow evening.” 

She nodded at that. They agreed to find a flight out when they had the necessary signatures. Her attorney friend called in a favor, and he’d have the papers in front of a judge first thing in the morning. She was more than ready to get home, and he couldn’t blame her.

“I’ll see if I can start getting Annabeth’s things together.” With that, they were off. After booking their flights, he made a mental note of things they’d need to take care of this week. 

Before taking off to Chicago, they had no time to discuss anything or make any plans for Annabeth--not that he knew the full extent of the plans they needed to make. After seeing her room, he thought they’d probably need to go out and get some child friendly bedding and decor for the guest bedroom. She seemed to like princesses a lot. A few toys and books wouldn’t hurt either. Maybe they could arrange a shopping trip this week.

He also wondered if Teresa had given any thought to where they would enroll Annabeth. Teresa was a product of Catholic school, and he wondered if that was important for Annabeth, too. He found a Catholic school nearby and researched their curriculum and tuition. As a kid, he barely attended school unless he had to because their lifestyle didn’t allow for it. He was mostly enrolled at the school of hard knocks. After reading their website, he thought this school might be a good pick for Annabeth. If not, they could poke around more when they arrived back to Sacramento. He’d talk to Teresa about the school he’d found on the flight tomorrow.

After the papers were signed and entered on Monday morning, they made sure Annabeth had everything she wanted to bring with her--and securing a few extra suitcases--they were packed and ready to go.

“Annabeth, you mind your Aunt Teresa.” 

“Yes, daddy.” The little girl looked uncertain, almost like she was torn between a smile and crying. Of course, she’d had a great time with them this weekend, having excursions around Chicago. But going across the country to be away from her parents for an undisclosed amount of time was clearly causing her some anxiety, especially when her father was already acting a bit distant. Teresa had her hand rubbing small circles on the little girl’s back to comfort her.

“Go give daddy a hug.” 

The hug lingered for a moment. “Ok, Annabeth that’s enough.”

“Daddy, please don’t send me away! I promise I’ll be good!” Here came the tears. Teresa looked at him, and he shook his head. They both expected it might come to this, and they had a contingency plan if it did.

“It’s ok, honey. We are going to have some fun in California for a little bit.” Teresa stooped to meet her on her level, placing her hands on her arms and trying to turn her little body toward her.

But that didn’t work as she dug her heels in and started to wail. Tommy just grunted in frustration, trying to peel her off of him. “That’s enough! Why are you causing a scene? We talked about this.”

Teresa glared at her brother in a way that made him think if looks could kill, her brother would be laid out on the ground. When Annabeth didn’t budge, he joined Teresa in trying to appeal to the little girl. The last thing they wanted to do was pull her out of the house kicking and screaming and making the situation more traumatic for her.

“Don’t you want to see the ocean? I thought you said you wanted to see the ocean. You can’t see it here in Chicago.” She turned her teary eyes toward him. “We can go see the ocean in California, but we have to catch our plane first. Come on.” 

He held his hand out to her, as Teresa rubbed her back once more. She seemed to be thinking about it, as she looked up at her father. He stood there emotionlessly. The fact that Tommy had awareness enough to know he couldn’t take proper care of his daughter and that she would be better off with her aunt suggested a man who loved his daughter--but he was also looking to make a clean break. This was getting messy.

“It’s ok. Come on, honey. We’ll call daddy when we get home.” Teresa prodded her again with a soft voice.

Finally, she turned away from her father with a child’s look of disappointment in her eyes. Teresa caught it too, as she closed her eyes briefly before taking her niece’s hand. Without further words, they left Tommy’s house and headed back to the airport in a yellow taxi cab. Annabeth clung to Charlie and her aunt, still tearful but not openly sobbing, as Teresa stroked her dark brown hair. With Annabeth between them, he wrapped his arm around Teresa’s shoulders. She kept her cool because years of experience taught her she had to, but he could also see the hurt in her eyes as they drove away.

After getting their luggage checked and getting through security, they stopped at an ice cream shop. He wagered that if anything could help change a child’s mood, even if temporarily, it was ice cream. It turned out his gamble was correct, as Annabeth’s mood changed a bit as she worked on her cup of orange dreamsicle. 

She also took the time to ask more questions about California. “Will I have my own room?”

Teresa nodded. “Of course.”

“Does Uncle Patrick get to stay too?”

Teresa laughed at that as he took her hand and pretended to be hurt. “He does get to stay. He lives at our house, too.”

The little girl nodded. “Is it cold?”

“Not like Chicago.”

He chimed in. “We even go to the ocean in the winter time! That’s how not like Chicago it is.”

Annabeth giggled. “Are there sharks in the ocean?”

“No!” Teresa exclaimed. 

“What’s my bedtime?”

“8 o’clock on school nights.” She answered sternly, but he doubted she knew how to tell time yet. Though, he appreciated the attempt to slide that in under the wire.

After finishing her ice cream, Teresa decided to take her to the bathroom. As he picked up their trash and watched their bags, an older man approached him.

“Excuse me, young man.”

“Yes?”

“I’ve been sitting here just a bit before you and your family sat down. You have a gorgeous family! It’s so nice to see a young man so in love with his wife and attentive to his daughter.” His eyes went wide. “Oh, no. Nothing to be ashamed of. Being a family man is something you should be proud of. I’m afraid this generation of men is losing the sense that there’s nothing stronger than the love a man has for his family.”

Admittedly, the man’s comments flustered him. He didn’t know how to even begin to respond to that. He smiled. “Thank you very much.”

The older man slapped him on his back and turned to walk away. Inexplicably, the smile was still plastered on his face but only grew wider as Teresa and Annabeth approached.

“What are you smiling at?”

For some reason, he felt the urge to kiss her. He reached over and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. “Just glad you’re back is all. Would hate to make that long flight without my two best ladies.”

Annabeth giggled as Teresa smiled shyly. “Well, let’s get going.”

“Can I sit by the window? Or is it really scary?”

He smiled at her question before taking her little hand in his. “You can sit by the window. It’s not scary at all! Besides, me and your Aunt Teresa are here with you, kiddo. You’re perfectly safe.”

As they got settled on the plane, he couldn’t shake a strange feeling that settled over him. It was like his subconscious knew something his conscious mind hadn’t yet caught up with. Once they were in the air and the excitement of being airborne wore off, Annabeth was fast asleep.

Teresa looked lost in thought. He took her hand, lacing their fingers together and drawing her attention to him. She grinned at him. “Thank you for coming with me this weekend.”

“It was a good weekend trip.”

“All things considered.”

He shrugged. “She’s a great kid, and he’s in a tough spot. It was nice all the same.”

“Well, I’m glad you were here with me. Having your support means the world to me. I hope you know that.” Her green eyes sparkled as spoke. 

“And I hope you know that you mean the world to me.” She leaned over and kissed him. “So I was wondering if we should take Annabeth shopping for bedroom decorations and school clothes tomorrow? I called a Catholic school not far from the house earlier today, and they are still enrolling kindergarten. They said we could drop by tomorrow or Wednesday to tour the school and meet with administration.”

She blinked rapidly a few times. “You called a school?”

She sounded surprised. “I...I didn’t mean to overstep, but I was just poking around. I know you wanted to get everything settled this week. Sorry if I was out of line.”

She squeezed his hand. “No, you’re not out of line. I just...hadn’t got that far in my thinking quite yet. I’d love to go see the school. Is it Sacred Heart?”

“Yes, and it might be a bit pricey, but…” She held her hand up. He knew from the moment he started poking around schools that he’d have to fight her on being able to contribute financially. He’d gone from a relationship where money was everything to one where she could care less. She wouldn’t even let him make a mortgage payment! He even tried to convince her to let him pay alternating months at the very least, but she told him that she had invited him to live there and as such, he owed her nothing. It was a funny turn of events, but he’d already come up with a plan to start leaving a “rent” check on her dresser to cover the school fees if necessary. He just wasn’t sure the money would come up so soon.

“I belong to Sacred Heart, so it’s likely less. We can find out tomorrow. Thank you for checking into that.” 

“Just doing what I can to help.”

She smiled at that. “You know, you’re really good with kids, Patrick. You helped soothe Annabeth, and frankly, she adores you. You also stay two steps ahead in thinking about how to make her life as comfortable as possible when she’s with us. I really appreciate that, you know? And I know she does, too.”

He was going to respond, but his words caught in his throat at the site of Teresa glowing in adoration....for him. It practically radiated from her, and it was so much that he thought it might consume him whole. He caught sight of a sleeping Annabeth nestled into Teresa’s other side as she had her other arm around the little girl. He wondered if their daughter would resemble Teresa, too. Suddenly, his mind caught up. 

He couldn’t take his eyes off of her as his mind worked through its own revelation. She was talking, but he wasn’t following her words. His mind was racing, as he tried to stay grounded and focused on the most important woman in his world. Today, that was enough--but in an instant, his hopes for the future--their future--grew exponentially as he visualized his greatest desire. He wanted a family with her. The only question was when, not if, he could make that desire a reality.


	10. New Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little glimpse into Patrick and Teresa's life with Annie as they prepare for the holidays!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Believe it or not: this one is actually a little longer than normal!! It does get emotionally heavy, but I think you might like it. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

Three months later

Even though it was the weekend before Thanksgiving, Patrick and Annabeth made her ready to go all in on holiday cheer this year. Well, Patrick and Annie. One day, she came home from school and declared her name change at dinner. She decided that she preferred Annie because it was a big girl’s name and because her friends liked calling her that.

Embracing their holiday cheer is how they ended up Christmas tree shopping, before grocery shopping, on this late November day. Weeks ago, Patrick started nudging her to get the tree up.

She had a loaf of bread in the oven, with the cabbage stew she’d been craving since Annie requested it last week on the stovetop. Every night since Annie arrived, she made it a point to be home in time to either prepare dinner or order something in for the three of them to sit at the table and eat together. Her work responsibilities remained the same, so she couldn’t be there every single night, but Patrick was always there with her for dinner even if she wasn’t. After a day apart, it was important for her to come together with them and share a meal. After all, she remembered the Lisbon family dinners before life went to hell in a handbasket where her mom made the most amazing meals—even when they were from a box. It was a tradition she wanted to continue. 

Patrick was busy assessing whether he wanted to eat cabbage stew or find an alternative--but quietly so as not to offend her. She smiled a bit at his curiosity as he started talking to her. “So when do you want to put the tree up?” 

“The day after Thanksgiving.”

“The day after Thanksgiving? The holiday season is practically half way over by then!”

“Patrick, I’ve never put the tree up before Thanksgiving. Why rush to all the...Santa business...before we properly give thanks for what we do have?” Of course, he rolled his eyes at that. His insistence that they put the tree up so soon also prompted Annie’s protests. 

Finally, she gave in last weekend and said they could put the tree up. When she brought out the artificial tree she usually put up in the living room, Patrick stared at her in exasperation. “That’s what you call a Christmas tree?”

After much protesting from Patrick, she finally gave in and decided to get a real tree. “Ok, fine! We can go get a real tree, but you’re responsible for keeping it alive. And it can’t be too big! We barely have space as is!”

As he kissed her cheek in joy that she finally came to see things from his point of view, she thought of how Patrick made her once black and white existence full of color. And of course, Annie added another layer to her life now, too. She loved having her niece here with her. At first, it was an adjustment. Annie seemed to enjoy her school, and she made friends easily, which didn’t surprise her aunt. Two weeks ago, Teresa came home and Annie rushed to see her at the door. 

“Look, Aunt Reese! I got invited to Marisa’s birthday party!” 

“Oh that’s great, sweetie.” Obviously, it was kindergarten, so the girl probably invited her entire class, but seeing Annie so happy to be included meant everything.

Though, teaching her about gift selection and giving was a bit difficult with her Uncle Patrick there. He decided she also deserved a present for being such a big girl and getting her friend a nice present. He doted on, and borderline spoiled her niece rotten, in spite of her objections. A good degree of spoiling came from their pickup and drop off arrangement. She usually dropped Annie off at school in the morning, and Patrick picked her up. They figured a car lot with kid-friendly cable television channels was better for Annie’s development than time spent in her office in the Serious Crimes Unit surrounded by evidence of gruesome murders. Though, that also meant she got everything her heart desired in those few hours spent with her Uncle Patrick each afternoon. Just last week, she proclaimed him her favorite uncle. Go figure!

Despite Annie’s well adjustment and her current happiness in her living situation, things were still rough. Tommy had only taken two phone calls since they returned to California three months ago, and he never called them. Every week, she sent him weekly updates from Annie’s school along with whatever she’d drawn that week. She loved drawing, and Patrick said it was her favorite thing to do in her after school hours so much so that he’d bought her an art set to draw and color. Finally, she got in contact with Stan who didn’t know anything about Tommy really. He’d gone off grid, and he didn’t seem bothered enough to go check in on him even in light of her concern. Stan did tell her that he and Karen were expecting her next niece or nephew. She congratulated him before hanging up. 

Tommy’s unresponsiveness was strange, especially as they approached the holidays. She expected he would want Annie home for the holidays. Though their arrangement was always meant to be temporary, she knew that both she and Patrick would likely be sad to see the little girl go. She did find out that Melanie had, in fact, signed away her parental rights. In any case, she reached out to her to see if she wanted to chat with Annie over the holidays. She also didn’t respond. Without missing a beat, she set out to make the holidays the best they could be for Annie--which meant shopping for a real Christmas tree the week before Thanksgiving.

After stopping for a round of hot apple ciders--in this barely tepid weather where neither her nor Annie even bothered with a proper jacket--they went in search of their tree.

“So Annie, tell me when you see one you like.”

“I can pick from any of them?”

“You can, but we have to make sure it’s a good one because it has to last until Christmas.”

She corrected him. “Until Epiphany.”

He looked at her. “Epiphany?”

“I’ll explain later.”

“It’s the twelve days after Christmas, Uncle Patrick! You leave the tree up until then because the first part of Christmas is about Santa, and the second part is about Jesus. Haven’t you done this before?”

While he laughed at Annie’s explanation, she rubbed her forehead. She didn’t quite understand how anyone expected kids to keep all of this shit straight. “Annie, that...was only half right. Christmas is always about Jesus--but also Santa brings presents, too. And some people have different beliefs about what the holidays mean. Do you want me to read you the Christmas story tonight?”

“Yes! Do you mean Uncle Patrick doesn’t believe in Santa?”

Patrick cackled at that, while she tried to hold it together. “Oh Annie, if there’s anything I do believe in, it’s the power of Santa!” 

“How about this one?” Annie ran to the tree she was talking about. Of course, it was a humongous tree that would take up most of their living room space.

She shook her head, as he squeezed her hand. “I think it’s a beautiful tree, Annie! We could do a lot with that, but I don’t know if we even have enough ornaments or lights to decorate it!”

“Well, let’s get some!”

“Annie! Is that the way we ask for things?” 

Of course, Patrick would get her anything she wanted. When she approached him about it not long after Annie came to stay with them, he had said: “Teresa, she’s five, and her parents are across the country. This is already a stressful time for her. Besides, just because we didn’t have things growing up doesn’t mean that she can’t have things and still grow up into a fierce, strong woman of good moral character.” She smacked his arm. He was right, but that didn’t mean she liked letting Annie get in the habit of demanding things. Her parents certainly wouldn’t go for it when she got home.

“Sorry, Aunt Reese. Can we get some more? Please!”

She and Patrick looked at each other. That tree was too big for their living room, and they both knew it. “I could move the tv out for now. We might even be able to mount it, if you want.” 

“Honey, I think it’s still going to be too big for that space.”

“Maybe we need a bigger space.”

She laughed. “Well, what do you want me to do? Knock the wall out so we can’t get up the stairs.”

He kissed her cheek. “Not at all, but I think we should get the tree. We can make it work. Come on!”

“Please, Aunt Reese!”

She sighed. “We are going to have to get decorations for it.”

Annie started jumping for joy, while he squeezed her into his side. “Now, was that so hard, Miss Grinch?”

“Grinch? I’m not a Grinch!”

“Meh I know, but a man’s got to get his teasing in some way.” She laughed at that. He was always looking to get his teasing in.

After paying for the tree and arranging a pick up time for tomorrow, they headed to the store. As Patrick took Annie to pick out the Christmas tree decor, she was able to get simple fixings for their contribution to Thanksgiving dinner. As it was technically a game day, and the Bears played the Lions this year, it was as good as any game night. She promised to provide the turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and gravy. Grace was bringing the yams, some roasted veggies, and dinner rolls. Cho and Rigsby were responsible for dessert. 

While she met them near the front of the large store with a shopping cart full of groceries for dinner and supplies for the week, they met her with a cart of equal size full of Christmas decorations.

She wanted to ask Patrick if he was out of his fucking mind because she had no idea how they’d get all of this in the car, let alone their house. Or why they even needed all this in addition to what she already had at home. But their cheerful grins were infectious. “Wow! That’s a lot of Christmas!”

“We got stockings and lights and ornaments and Santa stuff that we can hang around the house.” Annie was clearly excited about their purchases. 

“That’s cool, but I have some things at home already!”

“That’s ok! We have a lot of tree to cover. Besides, check these out! He pulled out three large red Christmas stockings that had their names written on them in gold lettering.”

“Where did you get those?”

“They monogram stuff for you here! And it doesn’t even take that long to get done!”

“And we have to make sure Santa knows whose stocking he’s putting stuff in.” Annie spoke authoritatively as she let out a slight yawn. She’d definitely be asleep in the car ride home.

“Yeah, we don’t want Annie to get my coal on accident, do we?” He laughed as she shook her head at him. One of him was bad enough, but the two of them together were incorrigible!

Thankfully, everything fit in the car seamlessly. Packing decorations around the living room was a different story. The tree situation made her anxious, but he seemed to believe it would be just fine. While he and Annie started getting their yard decorations outside, she got the mail. Noticing an envelope addressed to her from the State of Illinois, she opened it immediately.

Reading the cover sheet, she dropped everything else in her hands in shock. Melanie and Tommy had both relinquished their parental rights to Annie. As such, she was now eligible for adoption. Her guardianship over Annie was contingent upon rights that her parents no longer had to give--but as Annie was already living with her and she was a relative, she had the opportunity to continue the guardianship and to seek to adopt her. The letter reminded her that Annie was in the custody of the State of Illinois, and that California officials would be in touch with her regarding a home visit to ensure her continued placement was proper. 

She laughed sardonically at how hard she worked as a teenager to keep social services out of the Lisbon home for years, and soon, they’d be in her house. She had no thoughts in her head beyond getting that rat bastard of a brother on the phone and asking him what the hell his problem was. She tried calling him three times, and there was no answer. Well, at least his inability to answer the phone made sense now. Stan probably knew too, but he just didn’t want to tell her. That’s how they were. No one ever told her anything until a flaming bag of dogshit showed up on her doorstep, and then, it was her fault for daring to have a life away.

Panic set in before long. What the hell was she going to do? She went over to the window and watched as Patrick and Annie giggled, attempting to get one of the large inflatable snowmen up in the yard. She continued to process the shock of the words of the letter and her brother’s absolute recklessness. Then, came the rage that he would just leave his daughter this way without a single word. That was followed by the absolute horror that hit her like a freight train when she realized she would have to explain all of this to Annie. That was when she finally let the first tear fall. She was mad as hell, but sad that the little girl who ran around carefree in the yard was in this situation.

She started to run the scenarios in her head. What would social services be looking for? Would her job be in the way? She’d have to call her friend Bryan in Chicago on Monday to talk options. Lawyers meant money. Could she ask Patrick for help? Should she ask him? Patrick would probably cover the cost if she needed it--but this wasn’t his problem! He didn’t sign up for this! Would he want to be involved in any of this? Would anyone actually let her adopt Annie? Would Annie want that? She didn’t know how long she sat there like that, but she felt Patrick rubbing her back.

“Teresa! Teresa! Are you ok?”

She blinked a few times. “Um, yeah.”

“What is it?”

“Let’s talk later, ok? I should get dinner on.”

“Aunt Reese, maybe you need a nap!” 

She smiled at the little girl as she smoothed down her hair. “I could say the same about you.”

“Oh no! I’m busy decorating!”

“Of course, you are. I’m going to make us some macaroni and cheese and hamburgers!”

Annie looked at her in puzzlement. “And what’s the veggie? It’s a trick. You’re going to make my favorite and then make me eat veggies, aren’t you?”

“No, baby. I won’t make you eat veggies tonight.” It was probably the dumbest concession point ever. A night without veggies wouldn’t stop the complicated emotions linked to being abandoned that Annie would probably feel for years. It was a little thing she could do tonight to make her feel happy.

“Yes!” She ran along to her next little project as Patrick eyed her in suspicion.

She just passed him the letter she crumpled in her hand. He would worry until she told him what upset her, so she figured she may as well.

“Holy shit.” He practically whispered in disbelief.

“Yeah. My thoughts exactly. Well, I have more thoughts that include flying to Chicago, finding Tommy, and well, I’ll keep the rest to myself.”

“They can just do that? Sign a paper saying they have no responsibilities?” She nodded. “Hmm. Well, I suppose it’s better than when they decide to just check out without saying a word and the kid has to figure out what to do.”

As much as the reasons for Annie’s placement here opened her own past wounds, the idea of a parent walking away also weighed on him. They carried some similar scars, even if they weren’t exactly the same.

“Can we talk about this after Annie goes to bed? I need to process this and think of a way to talk to her about it.”

He grabbed her into a full embrace. “Let’s talk later. Do you need me to help with dinner? You know, we could just order in.”

“I just promised her macaroni and cheese and hamburgers.”

“Yeah, but if Chinese food showed up instead, I don’t think she’d complain too much.” A small laugh broke through. He knew how to do that rather well.

Turns out, he was right. Annie didn’t mind chicken and rice for dinner--as long as her aunt wasn’t pushing the broccoli. After a long day, she was tired out rather quickly and didn’t need much prompting to get in bed tonight. As she promised earlier, she got in bed next to her and read her the Christmas story. At some point during the story, Annie fell asleep. She held her little sleeping form, stroking her dark hair, for a bit longer before kissing her forehead and going downstairs.

Patrick was watching his cop show, so she got onto the couch next to him and curled into his side. He wrapped his arm around her, cradling her into his chest.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“I don’t really know what to say. I can’t believe he’d just do this without even talking to me. Well, I can believe that. I can’t believe he’d just cut off contact with Annie. I’m going to have to figure out a way to tell her.”

“It’s ok. We’ll tell her when the time is right.”

“She doesn’t deserve this. No kid deserves this.”

“I know. Teresa, we are here for her. What should we do?”

“I can’t let her go to foster care with some strangers.”

“There’s no reason we can’t adopt her. I’ll call my divorce attorney’s office. I’m pretty sure someone handles adoptions out of that office.”

It hadn’t registered, but he’d been saying “we” in response to her concerns. “Patrick, you’re supportive, and I truly love it, but you didn’t sign on for this.”

“I didn’t sign on for this?”

“No, you didn’t sign on to unexpectedly take custody of a five year old. You’ve been great these past few months, and Annie loves being around you, but I need you to know that I don’t expect anything from you. It’s too much for you to have to deal with this.”

Removing his arm from her shoulder, he leaned forward, causing her to shift. He had a wild look in his eye as he shot up from the couch and turned to look at her. 

“Teresa, you don’t get to decide what’s too much for me!” While he hadn’t raised his voice, probably consciously to avoid waking Annie, it was the closest he’d ever come to yelling at her.

“Patrick, I didn’t mean to upset you. I just meant…”

“No! I know exactly what you meant. You still think I’m some interloper who’s just hanging around on a rebound, having some fun.”

“No. That’s not what I think at all! This is just different.”

“How is it different? I love you. Annie is your niece, and I know what she means to you. For three months, she’s been a part of our daily lives. We have a whole new routine because of Annie, and that means something to me, too. You don’t get to tell me that it’s not what I signed on for.” 

She closed her eyes and sighed. “I love you, and I know that you love me. Nothing has ever been so clear to me in my life, but Annie is a different kind of commitment. I’m just saying...”

“Teresa, it’s exactly what I signed on for. I’m committed to you, and I want a life with you. When you tell me you don’t expect anything from me, it scares the hell out of me because you’re either one foot out of the door or you have such little faith in me that you believe I’d bail. You know what? I love that little girl! More than anything, she needs to know everyone doesn’t just bail when things get rough.”

“I didn’t mean to accuse you of anything, Patrick. I promise. I know where we stand in our relationship. It’s just that my priorities are shifting.”

“Our priorities, goddamnit!” The roar in his voice startled her as he yelled that time. He shook his head before running his hand through his hair. “I’m going to bed.”

She sat there speechless for a moment as he stormed up the stairs. She wasn’t entirely sure what she had said to make him so upset. A few minutes later, he was back downstairs with bedding in his arms. “Maybe you should go to bed. I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“No, I don’t want you to sleep out here. The couch isn’t that comfortable for sleeping.”

He huffed, and she could tell he was pissed off and ready to blow a fuse. “Well, just tell me what you think I CAN handle!” 

“At the risk of sounding like I’m gaslighting you, that’s not what I meant. I’m sorry that’s how I said it. This situation with Annie is a highly involved legal situation. Social services, attorneys, courts--everyone looking to determine whether I can maintain a legal relationship with Annie. I know you’re here, and I know you care, but at the end of the day, it’s my legal relationship with Annie. I know you wouldn’t bail. Just like I wouldn’t just pick up and leave you either.”

“We live together. I provide care for her too. They will need to see that I’m responsible and not harmful to her well being. I’ll comply with whatever they need to know. I want to adopt her too.”

She nodded along. “Patrick, you are the most giving, selfless person I’ve ever met. You’d give me anything I asked you for, but I wouldn’t take advantage of your kindness, especially not like this.”

“Teresa, you’ve never taken advantage of me. I want Annie to stay with us. We both know it sucks when the people who are supposed to care don’t, but we’re the kind of people who care. We care because other people don’t know how.”

He sat down on the couch. “I need you to let me help. I love how fierce and independent you are, and I would never try to take that away from you. But I need you to know that you don’t have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders anymore. I’m here with you. I want what you want, especially on this matter.”

“Annie adores you, and you're an integral part in why this works so well. The last three months have been so smooth because you’re here with me. It’s nice to have a partner.” She reached for his hand. 

“It is, so come here, partner.” He pulled her into his chest before kissing her hand. “I want to buy a house.”

“A house? We have a house.”

“One that we can’t even fit a decently sized Christmas tree into. Annie needs room to play, and we could also use some more room. Imagine my mortification at storming off to lock myself away and realizing I had nowhere to go. Wasn’t exactly the impact I was going for.”

She giggled at that. At least he was making jokes now. “I take your point. It was plenty of space for a single woman who worked all the time, but that’s not my life anymore. It’s the first place I’ve ever bought, so I’ll be sad to go, but I don’t think space would be a bad thing. It’s just finding affordable space that might be a problem.”

“Teresa, I’m buying the house with cash. I’ve been poking around. There are some good steals on the market right now.”

“Honey, I can pay my share of the mortgage.”

He sighed. “See, that’s what I’m talking about. Don’t worry about your fair share or whatever. I want to do this for us. If you don’t want to sell this place and would prefer to rent it out, that’s fine. But let me get us in a house that’s suitable for our family’s needs.”

She felt a fluttering in her chest. “Patrick, is that how you see us? As a family?”

He looked dumbstruck as he replayed what he just said. They looked into each other’s eyes for a moment. He finally answered, in a near whisper that suggested he was doing his best to keep his emotions under control. “Yes. Do you?”

Without hesitation, she answered. “Yes.”

“Huh. Then, maybe we should be one.” 

“Maybe there’s a different legal relationship we should be talking about.” Admittedly, she didn’t know where that came from. She would have regretted saying it or tried to walk it back, but the way he was looking at her now made the heat build in her core quickly. In the old days, he would’ve had her bent over the couch by now. She leaned in to kiss him. He met her briefly before leaning out. “Let’s go upstairs.”

He held her there. “If I asked you, what would you say?”

“I think you already know the answer to that, but it seems like you are denying me an opportunity here.”

“I’ll take care of your more immediate needs in just a moment, but I want to be clear here. So you’d say yes?”

“Are you asking?”

“Well, not right at the moment. I can do better than this, and I would never ask you when your emotions are already running high.”

“Patrick, I wouldn’t say yes in the heat of the moment. I would say yes because I mean it, but it’s not even been quite a year. Your divorce has only been final a few months. There’s no need to rush into anything for my sake. Unless you do something extremely shady, I’ll still feel the same in a few months or in a year.”

He used his thumb on their joined hands to brush a stray hair out of her face. “Oh believe me. I could marry you tomorrow, and it wouldn’t be a rush.”

The whole conversation was intimate, but the particular intimacy of that statement made her blush. From the way his smile met his eyes and his own slight blush, she could tell he was nothing but sincere. But it was also a look she came to know over the past few months that they spent taking care of Annie together. Seeing Patrick with Annie the past few months left her with a question about his past that she mulled over asking him a few times but ultimately shied away from asking.

“Patrick, you’re great with Annie. The night we met, you told me that you and Angela were talking about having kids before all of that went down. And that was what she used to try to get you back?” She hoped to make her point without bringing out too many skeletons and painful memories.

“Yeah. So?”

“You were the one who wanted kids, weren’t you?”

He frowned a bit. “Yeah, I was the one who brought it up. I’ve always liked kids, but looking back on it, it was probably something I brought up at the time because the part of me that knew something was wrong trying to cling to something.”

“When you think of us as a family, you see more kids, don’t you?”

He actually blushed. “Sometimes, I wonder if they will look like Annie.”

She hadn’t expected quite that level of admission, but it was one of the qualities he had that endeared her to him. She captured his lips. This time, they shared a passionate kiss.

Breaking away, she caught his eyes. “I’ve always wanted to be a mom, but I wasn’t sure if it would ever really happen. Finding someone who’d I want to start a life with never really seemed possible with my job and everything else. At least until I met you. Patrick Jane, you’re the only man I’d go with on either of those journeys.”

“Yeah?” 

She nodded. “You actually commit to people. You’ve got a kind and generous heart with a childlike spirit. Well, sometimes a little too childlike.” She winked at him as he squeezed her shoulders. “But I know you would be the best kind of dad.”

He was practically giddy with excitement with a smile that reached his watery baby blue eyes. She placed a hand on his jaw as a tear fell down his cheek and he kissed her palm. She wondered if their kids might have his eyes. She’d have a hard time ever denying them anything if that were the case.

“Sorry to make a fool out of myself. That’s just...no one has ever said…you think I’d be a good dad?”

She smiled at him. “It’s ok to cry. And yes, I know you’ll be an amazing father. When I see how you are with Annie, I know you’ll be the same way with our kids.”

He kissed her. “I hate to repay a compliment with a compliment, but I think you’ll be a great mom, too. Mmm...maybe that has less effect than what you said to me. It definitely sounded better before it came out.”

She laughed. “It was fine.”

He started to stroke her hair. “When do you think we should start? Do you have a timeline? Should you see your doctor first?” 

Oh. He was ready to get this show on the road. Without a single doubt in her mind, she knew she could be married and working on her first baby by this time next week if she told him that’s what she wanted. Well, a part of her would’ve loved that, but they also had to consider Annie. They didn’t know what this process would look like and what she needed from them to get through this.

“I think seeing my doctor would be a good first step. I need to make sure it’s safe to stop my birth control. But honey, do you mind waiting until we’ve got a handle on this whole adoption thing before we start?”

“That’s perfectly reasonable. Besides, we already have a daughter.”

She let her hand rest on his heart. There was no way he knew how big his heart truly was. “We do.”

“But I just can’t believe you want to wait that long to have sex again because you seem like you’re about to combust right now.”

She swatted his arm, but he captured her and pulled her in for a kiss. “I want you to be Teresa Jane--or Teresa Lisbon-Jane--or hell, Teresa Lisbon. Whatever you prefer, but I want a family with you.”

She lifted her hand and placed it on his cheek. “That’s what I want, too. We can negotiate the name situation later.”

He shrugged. “I also want a couch in our new bedroom.”

She laughed as she stood, gesturing for his hand. “Fair enough. Let’s get to bed.”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They decided to tell Annie after Thanksgiving. It was a horrible time of the year to tell a child that she was a legal orphan, but they decided telling her before a stranger from social services showed up to talk to her would be best.

On Tuesday, she received a call from social services. They set up a home visit for next week, so she was sure to put in for the time off. Bryan told her to comply with everything fully, and he agreed to represent them in Illinois. She briefly considered whether she should tell Minelli about what was going on. Should she get out of the rotation for out of town assignments? Should she request reassignment all together? Her career had always meant the most to her, and it was still important, but her family took priority. And well, these were all things she’d have to think of as she and Patrick moved toward trying to conceive.

On Wednesday, the Director of the CBI called a half day and sent everyone home until Monday. Patrick had a few listings already that he wanted to look at, so they looked at a few places before Annie got out of school. While he could’ve totally picked something on his own that she would most likely love, it was nice that he included her in the process. After they picked Annie up, she went home to ready the house for Thanksgiving dinner. Patrick moved the tv to a different wall and got the couch situated so people could watch the game.

On Thanksgiving morning, Annie was the first one up. She lagged a bit, especially until she had her first cup of coffee. 

“Aunt Reese, can I watch the parade?” After giving her a muffin and some juice, she put the parade on for Annie.

“Good morning, beautiful.” Patrick entered the kitchen with a peck on her lips.

“Your kettle is on.”

“Thank you. What do you need me to do?”

“Nothing! The guys will be here in a few hours, so just make sure you’re dressed when they get here.” 

Suddenly, Patrick was behind her and wrapping his arms around her. “I was a little sad that you were already out of bed when I woke up. Are you sure you don’t need a quick...nap?” As juvenile as it was, his innuendo made her smile. 

“I’m well rested.”

“Have you showered yet?” He caught her eyes. The sneaky bastard!

“Not yet.”

“Two birds...one stone. Annie’s watching the parade.”

She peeked around the corner. Annie was entranced in the parade, and 30 minutes left to her own devices wouldn’t hurt her. It certainly wouldn’t delay dinner. 

And that’s how she ended up in the shower with one of Patrick’s arms wrapped around her and the other on the wall to hold them steady as he jackhammered into her from behind--and she tried her best not to scream at the top of her lungs in ecstasy. 

After their shower, she dressed quickly. She put on the Bears dress she’d bought in Chicago. He was already giving her that look again. 

“Ok, seriously. Down, boy!” They’d both been practically insatiable since Sunday evening. After their mutual confessions, they couldn’t keep their hands off of each other.

“I didn’t say a word. I’m just admiring my woman’s beauty and radiance.” 

She kissed him before sprinting out of their bedroom. She had work to get done to make this holiday go smoothly. Wayne and Grace arrived first. Patrick helped get the dishes and beer into the house. As soon as he was inside, Wayne declared that Cho was bringing the dessert. Whether or not that was to cover his own ass for forgetting remained to be seen. She had a pie in the freezer she could thaw just in case.

Though, no one needed to worry. Cho arrived with a few different pies, including a strawberry rhubarb pie. She contemplated hiding that one from everyone else and eating it herself, but that would probably make her a terrible hostess. Though, by her third piece that evening, it was clear that it was indeed her pie.

“Sorry, we don’t have as much room as we normally do. But we do have a huge Christmas tree!”

Grace laughed. “I saw! It’s nicely decorated, so is the yard.”

“Uncle Patrick and I did that!” As soon as Annie saw Grace, she gravitated toward her. She was a curious child who gravitated toward good energy. Hopefully, that was something that she would continue throughout her life.

“Well, you guys do a great job!”

“Thanks! I don’t think Aunt Reese wanted us to decorate so much.”

“Annie! That’s not true. We just don’t have a lot of space in this house. We’re looking for a new house.”

Cho, who she could’ve sworn was deep into the game, responded to that first. “You guys are buying a house together?”

“Yeah, we already live together. This house is tiny for the three of us. We want something with more space, and hopefully, a yard for Annie to play in.”

Cho turned from the game and faced her. “So are you guys getting married?”

She hadn’t much time to talk with them this week about their push to adopt Annie and some of the plans they discussed. Patrick chimed in. “Kimball, my man, you’ve got to give some guy a room!”

Cho narrowed his eyes. “You do remember what I told you, don’t you?” 

Patrick blanched a bit. “I do, and don’t worry. I’ve got everything handled.”

“Good.” Cho returned to the game. She raised her eyebrow at Patrick, who just shrugged it off. She had no idea what they were talking about, but it was an intense little exchange. 

They had dinner after the first game. Dessert came during the second game. Annie had spent most of her day showing Grace her assortment of dolls, even inviting her to her room to see everything she had going on up there. Grace was sweet and obliged her whims. It made her heart heavy. She wished Annie had other kids her age around. 

Soon enough, Annie was tuckered out. She had crawled into Teresa’s lap as the nighttime game played. She fell asleep right there, so Patrick carried her to her bed. 

When he got back to the couch, she decided to tell the team. “So we wanted to talk to you guys.”

“Now, boss?” She nodded at Rigsby’s question. He really was like one of her brothers—except he usually shared vital information with her.

Patrick took her hand before she could even look to him for support. “Annie’s parents have terminated their parental rights, which means she’s now up for adoption.”

“What?!” Grace exclaimed before placing her hand over her mouth.

Teresa nodded. “I got a letter this weekend. She’s now a ward of the State of Illinois. Social services is starting its investigation and home visits next week. We want to continue our guardianship, and well, we are in the process of trying to adopt her.”

“Good.”

“Cho!” Rigsby immediately regaled Cho’s curt comment, but honestly, she understood him.

“What? She’s obviously happy here, and if she’s got nowhere else to go, this is the best place for her with a family that cares.” Rigsby nodded along as he processed what Cho said. Of course, Cho would be supportive, even if it was in the most pragmatic way possible. “And besides, they seem good at taking care of a kid.”

“Thank you, Cho. But we haven’t told her yet. We wanted to get through Thanksgiving. If I had my way, I’d wait through Christmas, but I want her prepared to talk to the social worker if anything comes up.”

They all nodded before Cho spoke up again. “So have you told Minelli?”

“I haven’t. Honestly, I don’t know what to say. But one reason I wanted to talk to you guys is that I don’t know what this means for my continued leadership of our team.”

They all gave her a grave look. “What does that mean?” Grace was wringing her hands. 

“It just means I don’t know what this process looks like. If social services takes an issue with my traveling, I’ll have to step down. Cho, I’d like to recommend you for the position. I think…”

“Nah!”

She blinked. Not expecting his interruption, and definitely not expecting it to be so abrupt and short. Patrick glanced at her.

“I could finish my sentence. I think you’re well suited…”

“Nah. It’s your team. It will always be your team. We will figure it out. Nowhere in the rules does it say you have to be out on a scene with us all the time. If I wanted my own team, I’d put in for a promotion.” In fairness, he should’ve already put in for a promotion. She noticed Grace and Rigsby nodding along.

The redhead spoke up. “And boss, well, we want to work for you.”

She met Patrick’s eyes and saw the grin on his face. Honestly, she didn’t know what to even say to that. She just nodded and kept her eyes averted. There was no way she made eye contact with any of them without bursting into tears. “Ok, I’ll keep that under advisement moving forward.”

After the game, they all trickled out with containers of leftovers. As she started working on the remaining dishes, Patrick came up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders before leaning in and planting little kisses on her neck.

“See, you’re incredible. You’ve got quite the fan club.”

“Oh hush! It’s probably because I let them get away with stuff.”

“Nope. They actually like you.”

“Yeah, so what was all that with you and Cho earlier?”

“Oh nothing. He just wanted to make sure I remembered to treat you right.”

She turned and looked at him with suspicion. “What are you even talking about? Do you and Cho talk about me?” He had the guys over to the lot a few times to look at and drive some cars...or whatever. They seemed to enjoy their time.

He scoffed. “Not that you’re not interesting, but no.” He took pause, clearly indicating he was considering his next words carefully. “He once gave me the advice of a lifetime.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, but was back kissing her neck. He would say no more on that subject. She closed her eyes to ready herself for her next words. “We should tell Annie tomorrow. It will give her a few days to process before she goes back to school.”

“I agree. When do you want to do it?”

“I don’t know. Is this one of those things when there’s ever a good time?” He snaked one of his arms around her waist, bringing her closer to him.

“No, but we will both be there to try to give her the support she needs. We will do the best we can.”

She nodded. “I know. Maybe we should talk to her after breakfast?”

“Ok.” He kissed the top of her head. “Are you almost done? Should I help?”

“I’m literally washing the last pan right now!” 

“No need to get snappy, woman!”

She quickly grabbed the towel and wound it up before snapping him with it. “There’s your snap!”

“Oh, you wound me!” He grabbed the towel from her hand before leaning in. “I was only wondering if I could tuck you in?”

She smiled. “Of course.”

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next morning, she made a pancake breakfast. It seemed a little overindulgent, and she would definitely need to lengthen her run later for a few different reasons. But Annie loved pancakes, and well, today was meant for the hard conversation.

“Aunt Reese, can I go outside?” Of course, she was finished eating already. 

“Not right now, baby. We wanted to talk to you about something.”

She frowned. “Ok. Am I in trouble?”

“No!” They both shouted in unison.

“You’re not in any trouble.” Patrick tapped her shoulder to reassure her. With his other hand, he intertwined his fingers with her own. They’d decided that she would talk Annie through this, and he would provide support.

“Annie, what do you think about staying here in California?”

“I like it here! Is daddy moving here?”

And this was the hard part. Of course, she loved her school and her friends. But Tommy had told her that it was for a little bit. “No, he’s not moving here, Annie. It’s complicated, but you’re not going to go home with daddy.”

“Well, he’s not here right now. But when he comes, then, I’m going home with him.”

“No, baby. He’s not coming here, and you’re not going home with him again.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re not going to live with your mommy or your daddy again.”

“Why not?”

“Well, they decided it's for the best, but your Uncle Patrick and I would like you to stay here with us.”

“It’s for the best?”

“Well, remember when we said adults have to work on things? They just need a lot more time, and they want you to stay here while they do that.”

Patrick shook his head at her. They’d both decided this needed to be the truth. Lying would only protect her feelings temporarily while making her distrustful in the long run. “What your Aunt Reese is trying to say is that you can’t go home to Chicago with your parents, but you have a home here.”

“Can’t I have two homes? Billy’s parents have two homes!”

“Yes, but that’s different. You would have just one home with us.”

She furrowed her brows. “Can I talk to daddy about it first? If he knew how nice it is here, he might want to come here, too. Then, we can all live here!”

She looked to Patrick with a pleading look in her eyes. Maybe they should stop here. Patrick squeezed her hand before he spoke. “Annie, your mommy and daddy signed some papers that said a court gets to decide where you live.”

“A court?”

“You know, like on tv when the guy wears the funny robe and gets to make decisions?”

“Oh! Ok. But why would a court decide? I live with daddy. Mommy might come back and live with us, too! It’s what he said.”

Patrick continued. “Well, your mommy and daddy told the court to decide now.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.” No. None of it made any goddamn sense, but here they were trying to explain to a five year old that they wanted to adopt her.

“I know, but you will understand it better when you’re a little older. They want the court to decide where you live while you grow into a strong, independent lady like your Aunt Reese. We want to adopt you so you can live with us until you’re a grown up, but some strangers have to decide if that’s ok first. They just want to make sure it’s what’s best for you.”

“You want to adopt me? Norah is adopted! But that’s because she didn’t have a mommy or a daddy until her new mommy and daddy found her. Why would I be adopted? I have a mommy and a daddy!”

Before Patrick could continue, she took over once more. “Being a mommy or a daddy means a lot of different things. They will always be your mommy and daddy, and they love you, but they don’t want the law to see them that way anymore. So now, the court has to decide who will take those responsibilities now.”

Annie was quiet and contemplative for a few moments. “They don’t want me anymore, do they?”

She chose to dodge that question. “They want you to have a good life, and we want you to stay here.”

“But they don’t want me to come home?”

There was only one answer to that question, and thankfully, Patrick gave it as he spoke softly. “No.” 

She started to sob. “What did I do wrong? I’ll be good. I promise!” 

Patrick stood and scooped her into his arms quickly, carrying her to the couch. She followed them, not losing physical contact with Annie. They sat so that Annie was between them.

She started trying to soothe her. “Baby, you didn’t do anything wrong!”

“Then, why don’t they want me? I’ll be good. I promise! Will you tell daddy please?”

“I can’t tell him right now. I will when he calls.” Patrick glared at her. He was pretty clear on what he believed she should do if Tommy ever called again. “You’re a very special little girl, Annie. And we want you to stay with us.” 

She continued to wail. They provided the comfort they could until she cried herself to sleep. Patrick carried her to her bed. Most of the weekend was spent with Annie as she went back and forth between trying to understand what she had done wrong, accepting that she wasn’t going back to her parents, and being happy she could stay in California at her school with her friends.

On Sunday night, they explained that a person would be coming to visit them at home and she would probably have to meet them.

“Why are they coming here?”

“To make sure everything is ok with you staying here.”

“Are you sure I can stay here?”

“If the court says it’s ok.”

“Are you going to make me leave?”

“No!” Once again, they were in unison.

“And I can stay until I’m grown up?”

She nodded. “If the court says it’s ok, then we want you to stay until you’re grown up.”

“So that means you will be my mommy and daddy now if you adopt me?” She looked at Patrick. Of course, they saw her as their surrogate daughter already. How she saw them was something entirely different.

“We’re still your Aunt Reese and Uncle Patrick.”

“But then I don’t have a mommy and a daddy. I thought that’s how adoption works.”

“It does, but you don’t have to call us that.”

Patrick patted her hand. “Annie, do you want to call us that?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. Everyone at school has a mommy and daddy.”

“So do you. Your mommy and daddy are still your parents. They will always be your parents.”

“But they won’t be here. And the court will say you’re my parents now, right?”

“If that’s what they decide, yes.”

“Ok.” She shrugged. “But it doesn’t matter to you?”

They both shook their heads as she answered the question. “It only matters what you like to call us. Aunt Reese and Uncle Patrick are still fine.”

Because of how difficult the past few nights had been, they took to putting her to bed together. As they left the room, they both heard her mumble. “Good night, mommy and daddy. I might like saying that.”

Hearing those words shocked her. Patrick wore a similar expression on his face. They laced their hands together before going back downstairs for some tv time. She laid on his lap and thought quietly about the ways their life continued to shift—without once making fun of his cop show. Life truly surprised the hell out of her sometimes, but perhaps the biggest surprise came in this new love that she found.


	11. Sunday Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is tooth rotting fluff. Please enjoy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and commenting. Sorry for the delay! Real life got a little hectic...and this is a Christmas oriented chapter. Seriously, it's a lot of fluff.

A few weeks later…

Christmas was finally upon them! Spending Christmas with his two best girls meant this could be the best holiday seasons of his life so far. Part of what made it so great was that at least one of his girls loved Christmas as much as he did. He and Annie practically drove Teresa up the wall with Christmas songs and movies. 

Last week, he held his annual holiday party at the dealership. Even though Annie was there everyday after school, Teresa had never actually been to his workplace.

“I am so happy they canceled the CBI party this year! I don’t think I have it in me to actually sit through that shit for hours without alcohol.” Since they’d returned from Chicago, she’d barely drank at all. Even though he’d never known her to be a problem drinker, her outlook on drinking was vastly different after seeing her brother and recognizing their priorities with Annie. 

“Is that just the CBI holiday party that you hate, or is it all of them? Because I was really hoping you’d come to my holiday party. I would like to show you around and introduce you to my team.” 

She wrinkled her nose. “All right.”

“Come on, Teresa. You don’t even have to get dressed up for this one!”

“I never said I didn’t want to go! And I’ve seen how you dress for work. There’s no way I don’t have to get dressed up for that.”

He shrugged. “You’re the boss’s girl. Who’s going to say anything about how you’re dressed? We can also bring Annie along. There will be other kids.”

“Talk about cold comfort! I’m sure I have something to wear, and I’m more than happy to attend your party because it means no one I work with will be there.”

“Things that rough around the office?” There was an emerging situation with Bosco’s team. She didn’t talk about work stuff, but he overheard her on the phone.

“I’ll have to take Annie shopping for a dress.” 

“Seriously, wear whatever you want! Annie is a big hit around the office.” She just glared at him. In the end, he was glad she took the shopping trip. She found matching, red and black, knee length dresses for her and Annie. Hers was sleeveless and fit her like a glove. Annie’s had sleeves and a poofy skirt. If he had to take his best guess, Annie coaxed her into that particular choice. In any case, he was grinning like a fool when she presented him with a tie that matched their dresses.

The holiday party was largely a success. Well, they never had any serious problems at the holiday party, minus an unfortunate incident with a copier a few years ago. Almost immediately, Annie found kids she knew from after school and was off playing with them. Once he started picking Annie up after school and bringing her to the office, he started to recognize how extending this option and more flexible hours to the people who worked at the dealership might be beneficial to them, too. So he made it clear that Jane Automotive was a family-friendly business and employees could bring their children to the office for whatever reason, whenever. He even converted an empty office space into a playroom for the kids. 

Once they arrived at the office, he went in to make sure everything was set up. Teresa went to peruse the lot. He wondered if she saw anything she liked, but then, he realized a house and a car might be too much for her at once. When she did join him inside, she was a bit reserved and didn’t leave his side as he made introductions. His sales associate Maya got her attention though. 

“So I have to ask what do you do for a living? I know you’re a working mom.” Maya was in her mid-30s, same as them. She was a relatively good looking divorced woman who was raising her three kids alone. She was the first to take him up on the new office policy.

Teresa looked to him before answering. “I work for the California Bureau of Investigation.”

“You’re a cop? That’s incredible!”

“I am. Thank you.”

Maya gestured at him. “Good work with this one.”

“Oh, that’s hilarious, Maya!” He feigned hurt.

Teresa hummed in agreement. “I think that’s quite the compliment.”

“I can’t believe you’re already teaming up against me.”

Maya invited Teresa to come over and talk to her and a few of the other sales folks. No doubt, they were interested in learning more about her. Angela hadn’t always made the best impressions around the office. He always assumed it was because she just wasn’t into cars, but looking back on it, it was probably a clue in how their lives were already diverging. Teresa, on the other hand, was a hit--especially when the topic shifted to NFL playoff prospects.

On their way home that night, Annie was fast asleep. Teresa was grinning at him, and he wasn’t sure why. 

“What?”

“You never told me about the unique nature of your employees. Well, how they became your employees.”

“Ah! Yes, I hand recruited all of them.”

“Huh. Based on what exactly?”

“I’ll give you an example. So Maya. I was on a business lunch at this place in Napa Valley where she was waiting tables. The associate I was having lunch with was a real asshole and he got downright aggressive. I have no idea who pissed in his Wheaties, but I cut ties soon after. Not only did she go toe to toe with this big guy who was acting extremely aggressive, she mollified him and was able to get him to change his tune so much so that he left a 25% tip. I was impressed with how she handled the situation and how she was able to still close the deal so to speak. After lunch I appproached her with the offer, and of course, she thought it was a sex thing so I took a slap to the face. But I just handed her a business card, told her to check us out, and hoped she would call. I’m glad she did. She’s one of my top sales people.”

“It didn’t piss you off that she slapped you in the face?”

“It’s possible she received a $10,000 signing bonus for slapping me in the face.”

Teresa laughed at that. “I never knew you liked women slapping you that much.”

“I don’t, but I appreciated the grit. Also, looking back, I probably should’ve found a different way to approach her. Approaching after being around that guy had probably set her on high alert.”

She nodded. “I’m sure it did. She seems nice. It’s nice that you find people that way.”

“Well, it’s not all about pedigrees. I prefer that people have skills and personalities that I can work with.”

“It’s the way people who’ve had to work through life see things.” He kissed her hand. “It was a very nice evening. Thanks for introducing me to the people you work with. Though, don’t think I don’t have something for you to do for me this holiday season.”

Her revenge came the following weekend when she determined cookie making would be a nice family event. In theory, it sounded great, but he should’ve known it would be anything but when he saw the shopping cart of goods just for cookie making. Teresa had so many cookie recipes that it almost made his detail-oriented mind swim! Some were iced and decorated while others were plain. They made enough cookies to fill tin after tin to pass out to friends and coworkers with smaller decorative baggies for Annie’s classmates. 

They even made enough for his teams at the dealership. As she boxed the tins for him, he looked at her with curiosity.

“What?” Her Santa apron was splattered in flour and batter and who knows what else, but she still looked amazing. 

“I don’t think they want cookies from me.” 

“They’re from us, and I’m sure they’ll appreciate the cookies. It’s a nice holiday gesture.”

“I know. It’s just that I usually give them a nice holiday gesture in the form of a bonus check.” She rolled her eyes at that. People always seemed happy with the sizable bonus that covered Christmas gifts and vacations.

In the end, she won as he loaded the box into his car. When he passed them out the next day, he realized she was right as he physically handed out each cookie tin and observed the smile on each face. It was a lot more personal than the money that just appeared in their accounts at the end of the week. Later, he told her that they loved it. What he didn’t tell her is that they immediately started asking when she would become the new Mrs. Jane because she seemed a lot nicer than the last one.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As perplexed as the cookie situation made him, Annie had a blast with cookie making especially when it came to icing them. And that’s what really mattered. Anything that brought her joy brought him joy. She continued to grapple with her new situation. Some days were easier for her than others because she liked her school and friends. She liked being with them, but it was still hard to understand why she wasn’t going home to her parents in Chicago.

She went back and forth on what to call them. Sometimes, it was Aunt Reese and Uncle Patrick. Other times, it was mommy and daddy—which definitely had an effect on both of them. More recently, she started calling them Mommy Reese and Daddy Patrick. As the social worker suggested, they placed her in therapy to help her deal with the emotional fallout of this new transition. 

Their family plans continued to go well as things fell in place. Social services agreed with her continued placement, and the attorneys agreed that there was no reason her adoption couldn’t be finalized within six months. All in all, it would be a rather uncomplicated adoption. 

They’d found a lovely two story, 6 bedroom home to move into after the start of the new year. When they went to see the house, Teresa’s eyes gave her away as she slowly took in her surroundings. She was clearly in love at first sight. When she let out a slight gasp as she marvelled at the open space kitchen, he almost made a joke about women and their kitchens, but the glint of happiness in her eyes kept his mouth shut. Though, she happened to see the list price, and knowing the cost, she tried to downplay how much she liked it. Of course, he bought it. 

When he had the paperwork sent over for her to sign, she called him. 

“What the hell? You bought that house?!”

“Is it not your dream house with your dream kitchen? You seemed rather into the pool as well. Can you just sign the papers so I can get the deed transferred today?”

“Why am I signing? You’re buying it.”

“It’s our home. You own it too.”

“This is crazy. I’ll never see the kind of money in my lifetime that this house cost.”

“Would you like to see my bank account some time? Or my tax returns?”

“Very funny. Don’t be flashy! Are you serious about this?”

“Dead serious. Sign the paperwork so we can start the logistics of moving into our dream home.”

“Do you want me to sign a contract or something beforehand?” He furrowed his eyebrows at that.

“Are you asking me if I want a prenup?”

“I mean, yeah. Even just a contract for this. That way if something happens I’ll leave the house and ask for nothing in return?”

“Teresa, that’s not necessary.”

“You brought it up first, but you should protect your assets. I don’t...well, if things don’t workout, I don’t expect to take anything from you.”

“Teresa, things are going to work out, and I know that you wouldn’t take anything. I don’t need a contract to tell me you’re a decent and honest woman.”

“It’s just that this is a lot of money.”

“There’s only one kind of contract I want with you. Can you get these back to me today? I offered cash up front so they’re ready to go.”

“I’ll get them back to you, but we should talk about our monthly expenditures at some point.”

“Teresa, I’m happy to cover our living costs, but if you want, we can create a joint account for expenses.”

“I’d like that.” 

“I’ll talk to my accountant.” It was important for her to contribute to the finances, and he understood that. He was learning to be patient with her where money was involved. In retrospect, most of his relationship with Angela had been about money. By the end, money was the only way she accepted his love. However, Teresa didn’t care about money. In fact, she expected his love in less tangible ways. 

He couldn’t wait to get moved into their new space. Their house was cozy, and he loved that he’d even had the privilege to call it home, but they just outgrew it. He asked Teresa about spending Christmas in the new place, but she wanted one last Christmas in the old house. Besides, they’d already decorated the tree and the house.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

To her credit, Teresa really did reign him in on Christmas. When they were shopping for Annie’s Christmas gifts, he really wanted to get everything on Annie’s list to Santa. After all, it was a hard year for her.

“Patrick, we are not getting her everything she asks for. Let’s pick a few things. It sends the wrong message about Santa. Besides, we have to get things for the new house, too.”

On this, they did compromise. It didn’t send a good message if Santa only favored kids with parents who had deep pockets. Though, he did use this to negotiate doing stocking stuffers on Christmas Eve. She smiled when he mentioned doing that on Christmas Eve, so it was a happy concession for all. After all, that was the part he was most excited about.

The week before Christmas, Annie had her Christmas play at school. One evening, she came home incredibly excited because Sister Mary Katherine chose her to play the role of Mary.

“So are you going to be an actress one day?”

She wrinkled her nose at him. “I don’t know.”

“Well, you’re so excited to play Mary. I can sense a bit of a performer’s spirit in you.” He winked at her.

“Because she’s the most important part of the story.”

From the stovetop, Teresa cleared her throat at that. “Annie, I don’t think that’s quite right. It’s about the birth of Jesus.”

“And his mom is really important, or why else would we pray to her?”

Teresa huffed again. He just pinched Annie’s little cheek and smiled at her. “Already liking the spotlight? My girl!”

She giggled. “I don’t want to be an actress because I want to be a police officer like Mommy Reese. She’s nice, and she helps people. I want to do that.”

He met Teresa’s eyes. She was smiling from ear to ear now. “Well, Annie, you have a lot of time to think about what you want to do when you grow up. You can be anything you want to be!”

“Yeah, maybe you’ll decide you like cars a lot.”

She wrinkled her nose. “No, I don’t think I will.”

Teresa laughed out loud as he pretended to pass out. Annie giggled at him. Nothing was more precious than that smile—and he was so glad he got to see it up on that stage as she performed it perfectly.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

On Christmas Eve, they got into their pajamas after dinner. He’d never done this before, but he’d seen the family photos of people in their matching pajamas. When he asked Teresa about it, she agreed almost instantly—which is how he ended up in green, red, and white striped pajamas covered in reindeer. They even snapped a photo together in front of the tree. It was cozy and certainly an experience he never had with his family growing up. 

Teresa grabbed all three of their stockings. Annie blasted through her stocking checking out her candy and trinkets. At five years old, she was old enough to know this part was small. The big time stuff would happen in the morning. Well, for her at least.

Teresa handed him his stocking as she held onto hers. She stood there watching him. “You go first!” They both said it at the same time, which made them laugh. 

“Teresa, I have to insist you go first.”

“No, I think you should go first.”

Annie was looking at them with curiosity. “Mommy Reese, you should do yours first.” Of course, Annie was in on this present. He’d talked to her quite a bit about the present he wanted to get Teresa.

“Fine! I’ll go first!” She opened her stocking with a bit of exaggerated animations “Let’s see: I’ve got Reese’s Cups! That’s original.”

“What? You love them!” He winked at her. Indeed, they were among her favorite post-coital snacks.

Catching his obvious suggestion, she smiled and shook her head. “And what’s this?”

She dug into the stocking a little more until she picked out the box. She went slack jawed as she looked at him and back into the stocking. He held out his hand and motioned to her. “Come here, sweetheart.”

Slowly, she padded over to him. When she was near the couch, he got onto one knee and took the box from her hand. He opened it, revealing the diamond ring inside. 

“Teresa Lisbon, you are a wonderful, incredible, beautiful woman. I feel like everything has been leading me to you, to this moment. You bring light to everything you touch, including my life. In the time I’ve spent with you, my life has taken a turn for the best as we reach new heights together. You see the best in me and you challenge me to be a better man. I want to continue to grow with you. I love our little family. You and Annie mean the world to me. When the time is right, I want nothing more than to expand our family. I want to build a life together, and I want nothing more than the privilege of being your husband. Will you marry me?”

She was wide eyed. “Wow. You said you could do better. You weren’t kidding, were you?”

He shrugged his shoulders. “I always know how much I love you, but I am a bit of a showman at heart. So what do you say?”

She smiled as she touched his face. “Yes. Of course. I’ll be your wife.” With that, he slid the ring onto her left ring finger. Sealing their promise to each other, she met his lips.

Pulling back, she smiled as she spoke in a shaky voice. “You should open your stocking now.”

“I will, but I just want you to know you’ve already given me the best gift this Christmas. It can’t get better than this.”

Her smile grew a bit more confident. “Humor me please?”

He grinned. “If you insist!” 

He looked into the stocking. He pulled out a model car kit. “A 1970 Camaro? Classic!”

Underneath it was a cloth of some kind. When he pulled it out, a piece of paper fell out. No, it was a photo. He picked it up. It was black and white, like some kind of stock photo. He was unsure what to make of it at first, so he went back to the cloth. It was a mini t-shirt. He wasn’t sure what she expected him to do with a mini t-shirt. It was probably something to hang in his office. He unrolled it carefully, reading the message: “Daddy’s future riding buddy.” He immediately snapped back to the photo. No, not just a photo. A sonogram.

He looked at the sonogram and at Teresa. She stood in front of him, smiling with her hand over her abdomen. “No fucking way!” 

She nodded. He covered his mouth when he heard Annie giggle at his bad language. “What did you get, Daddy Patrick? You seem to like it a lot.”

“I do! I love it. Come here.” He motioned for Annie to come over. When she came over, he wrapped his arm around her little body and held out the sonogram photo. “Mommy just gave me one of the best Christmas presents.”

“Even better than getting married? You said that was really important.”

“It is, but you see this picture? It’s a picture of a baby that’s growing in her belly.”

“So why is that your best present? It doesn’t seem like a good present for you.”

“Well, that means that I’m a daddy and she’s a mommy to the baby growing in her belly. And that makes me really happy.”

“Hmm. Where is it? I don’t see it.”

“It’s not very big yet.”

Teresa intervened. “It still has about seven and a half months to grow into a big baby.”

Annie frowned. “Does that mean I have to leave then?”

“Nope! You stay here too. You see, if I had my way there would be as many kids in our house, running around with brown hair and green eyes, that are in your class. We’d have our own little football team.” Teresa’s eyes went wide. “But I don’t think she would like that. Mommies have to grow the babies, and it’s a lot of work.”

“So if the mommies grow the babies, what do daddies do?” Right. It was natural for a child to ask these questions.

“Daddies help the baby get started growing. Then, mommies grow them. When they come out, mommies and daddies take care of them. You know, it’s kind of why Mary was the most important person in the play.”

“Ah.” She seemed to be lost in thought.

“What is it, Annie?”

“So how did the baby get there? Was it sex?”

“Whoa!” Teresa exclaimed as he coughed. It was direct, to be sure. “What are you talking about?”

“Well, Josh told me that mommies and daddies do sex to get babies. And I’ve seen you do sex, so it makes sense.”

Teresa was about ready to have an out of body experience when he placed a calming hand on top of hers. “Annie, what do you mean you’ve seen us do sex?”

She laughed. “Just a minute ago! When you were kissing! Josh told us that’s what they call it when mommies and daddies kiss.”

He smiled at her sweet innocence. The pink tint of her cheeks told her that he would definitely be speaking with Josh’s parents though. “That’s sorta true. Babies do come from sex.”

Teresa cleared her throat again, interrupting him. “But that’s something we will talk about when you’re a big girl.”

Thankfully, Annie determined she knew as much as she needed to know on this subject. “Ok!” She was off to play with one of the trinkets in her stocking.

He opened his arms for Teresa to sit in his lap. He pulled her into a tight embrace, kissing her shoulder. “We definitely need to talk to that kid’s parents.”

She scoffed. “You think? He’s probably a playground Casanova in the making.”

He laughed as he took her hand, placing their hands together over her abdomen. “But right now I’d like to know more about this.”

“Two weeks after Thanksgiving, I went to the doctor for a check up and to talk about taking steps to conceive. Routine testing showed I was pregnant already. Apparently, we somehow fell into the small percentage of couples for whom birth control was not effective. I waited a few weeks to tell you because it was incredibly early, and I thought it might make for a nice Christmas surprise.”

“You were right. It’s an incredible surprise. But how are you feeling about this?”

“There’s a tiny human growing inside of me that I have the responsibility to grow and deliver. Then, I’m responsible for molding them into a decent human being. I’m nervous as hell.”

He smiled at her honesty. “Me too, but I meant I know we talked about a timeline of sorts.”

She shook her head. “We had a plan, but apparently, your little swimmers had other plans.”

He chuckled. “Baby Jane already being on their own schedule is not that shocking.”

“Right. Why would they not be?” She had that sexy little hint of sarcasm in her voice. “Even with the timing, I’m...happy.”

“Me too.” He kissed the side of her head.

“You want to get married before the baby is born?”

She nodded. “I’d prefer that, but it’s still so soon after…”

He kissed her abruptly. “Don’t finish that sentence. I’m asking you what you want, and you want to be married before the baby is born.”

She blushed. “I do.”

“Let’s do it one week from today.”

She blinked rapidly. “Really? That soon?”

He nodded. “We can keep it small. We just need witnesses...unless you want something larger. Invite whoever you want! I just want to ring in the new year with my wife.”

She considered his words for a moment. “That would be nice. Just a few people and a simple ceremony. Mostly, I want you to be there.”

“I think we can put something together this week. And of course, I will be in attendance.”

She laughed. “Do you want me to take your name?”

“Only if you want.”

“Hmmm. Teresa Jane? I don’t know.”

“Well, I think that’s because you mean ‘Teresa Sarah Jane.’ See, you’ve gotta say the whole name for the effect.”

She slapped his chest playfully. “Don’t do that.”

“Your name is your name, sweetheart. I think ‘Teresa Sarah Jane’ sounds beautiful, but if you want to keep being Teresa Sarah Lisbon, I think that’s beautiful, too.”

“Yeah, but you can stop using my middle name at any point though.”

“So I guess Sarah is out for a girl, then?” That earned him a glare, but not one in anger. She was thinking about it.

“I don’t know. Sarah was my mother’s name. Annabeth Sarah.”

“Oh. Then, maybe it should be a frontrunner.” She nodded thoughtfully. 

“What about your mother? What was her name?”

“Nancy, but I don’t want to name our baby for her.” He didn’t think about his parents that much, except to think about the ways he wanted to do better. Though, he was beginning to wonder if he should try to locate her. Would she want to know that she was going to be a grandmother?

“I didn’t think so, but I was just curious, Patrick Thomas Jane.”

He grinned. “So you know my legal name?”

“I’m a cop. It’s my job to know things. I suppose if it’s a boy, you want him to share your name.”

Honestly, he’d never thought of that. “Would it be vain to say yes?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think so. Tommy is named after our dad, and well…” She shook her head, and her eyes darkened a bit. 

He took her hand to bring her back to him. “It’s ok if you don’t like that idea. We’ve got time to think about it. There are so many names out there to choose from, and hell, we could even create our own if we really wanted to.”

She smiled, and her eyes met his. “Oh no. I’m open to it. Besides, there’s no reason I wouldn’t want to name our son for his father. It’s just like there’s no reason I wouldn’t want to take his father’s name. That guy is pretty damn awesome, and it turns out I really love him.” 

Their lips met, and it was becoming harder for him to maintain his composure. In these little moments, he was so lost in those green eyes, that wide, toothy smile, and warm, freckled olive skin--and that didn’t even capture her spirit. He was glad for absolutely everything that led him to her and everything that continued to lead them back to each other. It was truly the best Christmas ever!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I picked Teresa's middle name as an homage to Sarah Jane Smith form Doctor Who. I figured her mom's name must have been Annabeth since she had two nieces with some variation of the name (I think). Anywho, I hope you enjoyed this fanfic equivalent of a Hallmark Christmas movie! Happy holidays!


	12. Sugar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, let me say I'm so sorry for the delay! Life got in the way. Once I got a draft, I had to sit on it for a bit because I was not entirely happy with it. I think this is as close to happy as I will be with this chapter. Thank you all for sticking with this story and commenting/reviewing!

Looking at the new diamond ring on her finger and her—their—baby’s sonogram still felt like a dream that someone would come wake her from soon. After years of failed dating attempts, she was sure she would be single forever. Then, Patrick happened and her life was now forever changed.

As it was an evening of celebration, they let Annie stay up a little longer playing with her new doll before sitting out the chocolate chip cookies and milk for Santa. After they got her to bed and placed Santa’s gifts under the tree (and shared Santa’s milk and cookies), Patrick lifted her in his arms.

She laughed at the sudden shock of Patrick lifting her. “What are you doing?”

“Santa is taking Mrs. Claus to bed for her present.”

He started to climb the stairs as she giggled at him. He gently sat her down on their bed. He leaned in and kissed her. “Will you take your pajamas off for me?”

“Why? Don’t find the reindeer sexy?” She wriggled her eyebrows at him, making him laugh.

“You can make anything sexy, my dear. It’s just hard to reach the parts of you that I want with those pajamas covering you head to toe. Plus, I expect we are supposed to wear these again in the morning.” He found the sensitive spot on her neck and started to kiss her.

“Hmm. You make a good argument.” They made quick work of their clothes and laid in bed, where he quickly found her lips as he pulled her half way on top of him.

He pulled back slightly. “I wonder what would make my lovely fiance most happy tonight.”

She mounted him. “I thought you knew all of the ways to make me happy by now.”

“I do, which is why I know my lovely fiance doesn’t actually want me to do anything. She wants to ride me until she’s ready to scream her pleasure--and I’m totally fine with that. I’m happy to be of service.”

She scoffed. “Oh really?” 

“Yep, I’m always happy to give her what she wants.” He let his fingers on his right hand trail down her sternum, between her breasts, and all the way down her belly. She leaned down, lightly dragging her teeth across his neck and making his cock jump.

“I can see how happy you are.”

“My fiance is a very foxy lady. She rouses a lot of good memories that really help get the juices flowing.” She chuckled a bit before kissing him. He held her close to his chest as he shifted his hips under her and found her entrance. 

She started to ride him, finding their rhythm for the evening as she continued kissing him in a series of long, deep kisses laced with shorter, more chaste kisses. Though, within a few moments she had pulled back into a prone position to increase the pace of her hips. He began to caress the sensitive spot on her side, making her gasp. She could see that he watched her from beneath his relaxed eyelids. She loved this position, but not just for the reasons he thought. Being in control was nice, but it was nothing compared to the thrill of him watching her make love to him. When he watched her like she was his goddess, it empowered her. 

Nearing her peak, she leaned down to capture his mouth once more. She started doing this when Annie moved in to quiet herself. He joked he didn’t mind swallowing if she did. Of course, she slapped him on the arm for his crass remark while grinning all the same. 

As usual, she pulled him along with her. She tried to roll to his side, but he held her in his arms on top of him.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

He stroked her hair, winding it between his fingers. “For making me such a happy man.”

She kissed him. “You deserve every bit of happiness and more.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

He laughed. “I can’t believe we’re having a baby! We really went from zero to two kids so quickly!”

“It’s funny how life just happens sometimes. If you think about it, us being here and together is just a series of events that converged at just the right moment.”

“Wow, Teresa Lisbon, I didn’t know you’re also a philosopher.” She swatted his chest before he grabbed her hand and kissed it. “You’re right though. If I hadn’t been miserable and in the mood to upstage your hustle, we would’ve never connected.”

“Hmm. But did you upstage my hustle? Like ever?”

He grinned. “A poor choice of words, but I was so sure I would win that game at first. At least I got the girl. That helped my pride a lot.”

“You picked that up nicely, didn’t you?”

“I always want to please you.”

“And you do.” She kissed him again.

“I know sometimes you have a hard time letting me please you where money is involved.”

“Because your money isn’t what pleases me about you.”

“I realize that, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to take care of you.”

She narrowed her eyes as she pulled back a bit. Obviously, this was headed somewhere. “What’s this about?”

“I want to get you a new car. You know, something that’s good for the family.”

“My car is fine for the family.”

“And I knew that’s what you would say. I’m not asking you to get rid of it. I don’t think our kids should be in the car you drive around California collecting criminals in.”

She closed her eyes. “I don’t want you to get the habit of buying me--or the kids for that matter--expensive gifts. You don’t need to buy our love.”

“I’m not buying your love. I’m giving you a car.”

“An expensive car that you will pay for when I already have one?”

“Teresa, I just want to give you a nice car. Please let me do this?”

“I let you buy the new house.”

“You did, but everything I have is yours...well, in seven days.” He winked at her.

She rolled her eyes. “Fine! Just don’t make a habit of buying stuff for us, Patrick. I mean it.”

“Will you ever stop being so weird about money?”

He grinned as she placed her hand on his chest just over his heart. “I’m not Angela.”

His grin fell from his face. “No, you’re nothing like Angela. Not exactly a subject I’d like to talk about right now either.”

“It’s not, but I need you to know that I don’t want anything from you, Patrick. Well, nothing material. What I want is for you to promise that you love me now and forever, that you will be a faithful, supportive husband, and that you will love our children. Even if something ever happens between us or if something ever happens to me--and I hope to God it doesn’t--I want you to promise me that you will always love our kids and give them everything of yourself. I want them to be proud of their dad because he’s a good man who loves them, not because he bought them some cool new gadget or paid for the pool out back. I don’t want them to ever know our heartbreaks. Besides, we both know that wounds can’t be healed with money. All I ask is that you keep an open heart and love us. That’s all I ever want you to do for me.”

At some point, she had started rubbing circles in his chest. Her eyes were a bit wet and she couldn’t help but notice the gloss over his eyes as well. He began to stroke her hair. 

“I can promise you all of that, Teresa. I love you and Annie--and this little one.” He moved his hand down to touch her abdomen. “I don’t even know how I could live with myself if I ever let you down. My family means everything to me, and I’m not trying to buy your love with anything. It’s just that as much as you don’t want our kids to know our heartbreaks, I don’t want them to know our struggles. We have the means to provide for our family. I would just also like to give you this really nice Lexus on my lot.”

She kissed him. “A Lexus?”

He smiled. “Yeah. A gold LX came in early this week. I figured you’d like it.”

“Well, in that case, I suppose the car is ok.”

“See, that’s what I’m talking about!” She laughed as he kissed the side of her head. “I’ll get it detailed and you can pick it up the day after tomorrow. Consider it a wedding present.”

“But I meant what I said.”

“I know, and I meant what I said, too. Let me spoil you sometimes. I promise I won’t make a habit of it. You want to go for round two?”

“With pleasure.” She smiled as she shifted on top of him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They decided to get married in the backyard of the new house, which meant making sure the rest of the furniture and their belongings arrived and the house put together this week. Everything was just happening so quickly!

On Christmas Day, they moved more of their belongings to the new house. They already had enough of their new stuff there, like bedroom furniture and the dining room set, to live there. They decided tonight would be their first night here, the first night of their new adventure.

“When can I go swimming?” Of course, Annie immediately started to inquire about the pool.

Patrick looked at her nervously. They discussed this, and neither of them was sure whether she could swim. “Well, can you swim, sweetie?”

“Yep!” Her answer came quickly—a little too fast. She wasn’t prone to lying, but this was a rather big deal.

“Annie, you’re going to have to wait for us to get in the pool.” She cast her eyes down in disappointment. 

“Ok, but how long do I have to wait?”

“One of us needs to be in the pool with you every time you get in.”

Annie huffed. Clearly, Lisbon attitude hadn’t skipped a generation. That would be something to look forward to with the new baby. “I can swim!”

At that moment, Patrick swooped her in his arms and kissed the side of her head. “And we believe you can. But you need to pass a big girl swim test first.”

“A test? But it’s not school!”

“It’s not! But swimming is very dangerous, so we have to make sure you can swim like a big girl. Then, you can swim as much as you like.”

“Really?”

She interrupted quickly, before Patrick could give her an unqualified answer. “Well, after your homework and you still need to make sure we always know you’re going swimming.” 

After they decided the work for the day was done, the three of them got into the pool. She was still in awe at how big this place was...and the fact that it had a split pool and hot tub in the back. Never in a million years did she expect to live in a place like this—let alone own it. 

She made Annie get in with arm floaters first. Annie huffed when she saw her blowing them up.

“Annabeth Rachelle Lisbon, you either keep that attitude or you go swimming. You can’t do both.”

She nodded and placed the plastic bubbles over her arms. The three of them got in the pool. They made her paddle between them a bit.

“This is so easy! I told you I can swim!”

Patrick watched her with his arms held out even as she moved further from him, waiting to jump into action if necessary. “You’re doing great, Annie. You want to try without the floaties?”

No sooner than he finished the question was she already discarding them. “Can you hold your breath under water?”

“Yes.” 

“Do you want to see who can hold their breath longer?” Of course, it wasn’t a real competition. He wanted to make it fun for her. He was good like that.

They both placed their hands on the wall of the pool. At the shout of “go,” they were both underwater—but Patrick came up just a second or so later. Wiping the water from his eyes, he watched Annie to see if she was distressed.

About 10 seconds or so later, she popped her head up. “Look at that! You beat me!”

“I knew I would!”

“Oh, I see that Lisbon competitive gene doesn’t skip a generation.” He winked at her as she scoffed. “Why don’t you show us how good you can paddle between us now?”

She did as he asked. She paddled back and forth well. “Good job, Annie!”

“Did I pass the test?”

Patrick pursed his lips and rubbed his chin. “What do you think, Teresa?”

She nodded. “I think so, but you still need to get us. For now, I don’t want you out here alone.” Their social worker would have a field day if she thought they weren’t utilizing water safety techniques. 

“There you have it! Annie Lisbon is officially a big girl swimmer!”

Annie smiled widely at that. “Uncle Patrick, are you a good swimmer?”

“Of course! I’m one of the best there is. Watch this!”

He flipped and took off in a butterfly to the other side of the pool, splashing her in the process. On his way back, he did a back stroke.

“That’s so cool! You really are one of the best! How did you do that one?? I want to swim on my back like you!”

Clearly, they were about to have a moment. She loved when that happened because they both had the tendency to just exert raw passion on any given subject. “While you two practice being fish, I’m going to go get dinner started.”

As she got out and dried her legs, she noticed Patrick watching her with a rather sweet look in his baby blue eyes. If she hadn’t seen it before, it might have made her uneasy. Now, she just returned it with a smile before getting inside and letting them have their swim lesson. Periodically, she looked out through the window to see him teaching Annie the different elements of the backstroke.

Once they were done and inside, Annie darted to her room. Patrick sought her out in the kitchen. He stood behind her and brought his arms around her waist, letting his hands rest on her abdomen, before kissing her neck.

“You know, we could have ordered in. Annie did a fantastic job.”

“I saw.”

“You look amazing.” 

She smiled. “Well, enjoy it while it lasts.”

“Imagine thinking I’ll ever stop enjoying this view: my beautiful wife and my family, in our home.”

She grinned as he kissed her neck again. A bit of heat rose in her chest as he continued to hold his hands over her belly. Not that it was the most intimate they’d ever been, but there was a possessiveness in it that when paired with his words, excited her. She loved being his.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When she returned to work two days after Christmas, she felt rejuvenated. Since Annie was on school break, and this was the only day she would be working until after the new year, she brought her to the office with her. It was bound to be a slow day. They wouldn’t likely get any calls until after the holidays. Nothing pressing seemed to happen in the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Besides, Annie begged to see where the police officers worked. There was no better day than today! Patrick volunteered to be there in a hurry if she needed. 

She pulled her team into her office for their morning rounds. She figured she may as well give them the news (and invites) now. 

“Good morning, guys! I hope everyone had a nice holiday.”

They all nodded. She noticed that Rigsby kept sending Van Pelt glances, but she deflected them. She hoped that was nothing serious.

She checked to make sure Annie couldn’t hear them. Her humongous headphones were on her little head, and she was completely absorbed in watching cartoons on her iPad (both courtesy of Santa). “So where are we on the Wilson case?”

Cho began filling her in on the leads that he and Rigsby chased down before Christmas. Van Pelt talked her through the details of the victim’s cyber presence. 

“Ok, well it sounds like we have some leads to follow. I just don’t want them to dry up this week.”

Her phone buzzed with a message from Madeleine. It distracted her briefly as she saw the message: “Bridal spa trip booked for tomorrow!”

Of course, Madeleine was the first person she told about the wedding...and the baby. They were planning to wait on telling people about the baby until after the wedding. But Madeleine swore her secret was safe. 

She responded to her message. “Ok, I’ll get the details tonight!”

“No details. Just be here with Annie by 11. Mimi is looking forward to having her over again!” They’d done several playdates for the girls over the last few months, and they seemed to hit it off. 

“You got it!”

She realized her team was still waiting for her guidance. Though, they had looks of curiosity on their faces. When she held her phone up to type, their shocked expressions made it obvious that they saw the diamond ring on her finger.

Cho spoke first. “So you are getting married then?”

She smiled. “Yes, we are.”

Rigsby was grinning like a kid. “Aw! Congrats, boss!” Once again, he looked at Van Pelt nervously. 

Van Pelt nodded in agreement at his words, ignoring his look. “That’s amazing! Are you having an engagement party?”

“Well, not exactly. We are getting married on New Year’s Eve.”

“In four days?”

“We decided we don’t want to draw out the engagement. Besides, we’re already moving into the new house and adopting Annie. It’s not a stretch for us to be married.”

Cho shrugged his shoulders. “Makes sense.”

“Cho, you’re the most practical person I know.”

He grinned ever so slightly, taking an obvious pride in that statement. “Thank you.”

Rigsby was looking at Van Pelt with the pleading look again. She didn’t know what that was about, but Annie finally registered Grace was there in the office too. She was by her side within seconds.

“Hi Grace!” She jumped in her lap and gave her a hug. 

“Hey Annie! What are you watching?”

“It’s this show called The X-Men. My daddy—Patrick—told me about it. It’s really cool!”

“Oh nice!”

“Sweetie, do you remember what I said? It’s not like game night. We have to let people work in the office and not interrupt when grown ups are talking.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

She noticed a tear escape from Grace’s eye as she held Annie. “Are you ok, Van Pelt?”

Rigsby reached for her hand and nodded. She gave him a slight shrug in return. It was like they were having a conversation no one else was in on. 

“I’m fine, boss. It’s just that we’re going to have a baby.”

“No fucking way.” She whispered as she met Cho’s eyes. He wore a similar expression on his face.

“We were planning to make an official report on our relationship to you later today.” 

“Ok.”

Van Pelt looked upset. She realized then she probably had a look of horror on her face that led her to believe she was upset and not trying to figure out the odds—and logistics even—of both of them being pregnant at the exact same time. Since she considered them friends, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out Grace probably thought she didn’t have the support of a friend.

Just as she was going to walk it back, Annie interrupted before she could stop her. “You’re having a baby? My Mommy Reese is too!”

Then, all eyes were on her. She smiled nervously. “That was the reason for my reaction. I’m getting married, and I’m also pregnant. We were just planning to wait until after the wedding to make that announcement. It seems I didn’t make that point clear enough to Annie.”

For her part, Annie just shrugged her shoulders. “You and Daddy have been really happy about it. You kept doing sex, and you always say we should talk about what makes us happy.”

Cho laughed—actually laughed—at that as her face turned beet red. “You guys are always talking about how honest I am, when you’re out here having kids that will be more painfully honest than I am.”

“Ok, first of all, Annie we have to talk about privacy and things that happen at home again. Second, Annie told us that she learned that sex is when a mommy and daddy kiss. We kissed! Annie, please just call it kissing!”

Cho laughed again, drawing a bit of laughter from Rigsby. “It’s fair game if you didn’t tell her the truth.” He seemed to be enjoying himself today.

She turned her attention back to Van Pelt. “I’m sorry for my reaction. I just immediately started thinking about office logistics, and that wasn’t very supportive.”

“It’s ok! Don’t worry about it. How far along are you?”

“Six weeks tomorrow. You?”

“Seven weeks today!”

“Wow! That’s...I don’t even know.”

Annie made her way over to her side now, leaning into her side. “What does that mean, mommy?”

“It means that me and Grace will have babies born about the same time in about 7 months.”

The little girl frowned a bit. “That’s a really long time. I want to meet them now.” 

“Awww, sweetie, I know you do. Me too. We just have to wait for them to grow strong and healthy. They will come when they’re ready.”

Annie started to cry. “What’s wrong, Annie?”

“I’m sorry I told when I wasn’t supposed to. Please don’t be mad. I love you, Mommy Reese. Please don’t send me away.” Her little body squeezed her as tightly as she could.

“Annie, no! We won’t send you away. I’m not even mad. It’s just sometimes there are things that we wait for other people to tell because it’s their story to tell. I’m sorry I made you think that I am mad. I would never send you away!”

She kissed the side of her head, squeezing the little girl in her arms. In her desire to correct the story, she hadn’t taken into account how she spoke her words. Annie was still prone to bouts of fear that she would be abandoned again if she did something wrong. Her therapist advised her that those fears could increase with the addition of the new baby. “Why don’t you go watch your cartoons until it’s time to go get one of the most delicious muffins in all of California?”

Annie smiled and nodded, returning to her spot on the sofa. Thankfully, she was able to diffuse that situation well. She returned to her team.

“Ok, so I am talking to Minelli this afternoon. Can we just make this your official report? We’re going to need support for the team once we’re off field work in a few weeks.”

Rigsby shifted in his chair. “Just not Bosco please.” They really needed to work out that bad blood. 

When she hit Minelli’s office after lunch, with Annie in tow, he took the news exactly like she thought he would: happy that she was getting married, pleased that “the young man” was responsible for taking care of his family already, and pissed that she’d let Rigsby and Van Pelt carry on a months long relationship that resulted in a pregnancy. Having Annie along definitely softened his language somewhat. In the end, he was happy enough about action items one and two that he promised no reprimands would be coming—but he expected Rigsby and Van Pelt in his office after the new year to explain themselves.

“Boss, our team is going to need some coverage.”

“I can have Bosco and Haffner swing over to cover the field.”

She groaned and shook her head. “Is it possible to get someone else?”

“I can see who we have, but that's the best choice. We’re going to be in a tight spot on this. Everyone might just have to kiss and make up.” She grimaced at that. “I’m sorry. That was an inappropriate word choice.”

He rang Bosco and Haffner to both come to his office. 

Haffner arrived first. “Hey Lisbon!” Looking at Annie who was seated next to her on the couch, he greeted her too. “And little Lisbon. I don’t think I’ve met you. What’s your name?”

Annie shrank into her side a bit. “It‘s ok, sweetie.”

“I’m Annie.”

“Annie! Well, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Ray. I’m a good friend of your Aunt Teresa’s.” Even though he was being nice to Annie, the way he said “good friend” still made her skin crawl a bit. Though, she didn’t have time to dwell on that as Bosco entered the office with a grumble.

He motioned around the room. “What is this family meeting about?”

She laughed a bit at his choice of words. Minelli gestured to her. “Do you want to tell them why we are here?”

Clasping her hands together, she exhaled sharply. She did not particularly want to to tell them, but professionalism being what it was, she supposed she didn’t have a choice. All eyes were on her, and suddenly she wondered if she had given Annie the talk about privacy prematurely.

“I’m pregnant.”

Bosco blew out a large huff of air, as Haffner looked at her with a stunned look on his face. Thankfully, Minelli started speaking again.

“Agent Lisbon has informed me of her current status. When she nor Agent Van Pelt are no longer able to go into the field, their team will need coverage.”

Bosco blinked in confusion. “Van Pelt?”

“Also pregnant.”

Haffner chuckled. “It seems like you guys have been having a lot of fun in your unit. Maybe a little too much fun. Sad to say I wasn’t invited.”

“Ok, not only is that borderline inappropriate, but there’s a child present.”

Bosco pursed his lips. “So is this a daycare now then? Did your significant other already shirk his responsibilities?”

She just focused her gaze away from him, refusing to acknowledge his questions. About two months ago, he tried to have another talk with her about Patrick and protecting herself and Annie. Indeed, he told her how much he had always loved kids and offered to help her with Annie—help that she never asked for. The whole thing was bizarre as he told her how Mandy could never have kids. It almost seemed like he was making a pitch to her as he promised her safety and stability and that he would do anything she asked of him. It did not go well, especially when Rigsby overheard her shouting at him and telling him to get the fuck away from her. Hearing just enough, he threatened to write up a harassment report. They hadn’t really spoken since, and she was able to convince Rigsby to let it go without telling anyone. She didn’t need those rumors out there.

So yeah, to say there was bad blood there was an understatement. Right now, her own feelings toward the man she would’ve once stood up for and called a mentor were now ice cold.

Annie shifted next to her and tugged on her elbow. “Hmm?”

“Can I go sit with Grace? He’s scary.”

“Honey, we’re almost done here.” She looked at Bosco pointedly. “Annie is here today because she wanted to see where police officers work and what we do. I don’t think you’re making the best impression.”

He rolled his eyes before leaning toward them in his chair. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I hope you are having a fun day.” As he looked up, he caught a glimpse of the ring on her finger. “And what’s that?”

“An engagement ring.”

“Hmm. So what does Mr. Husband to Be think of you out in the field?”

She grasped the arm of the couch, taking nearly everything she had not to come up and start wailing on him. While it would definitely get her in trouble, she thought more of the bad example she would be setting for Annie. Stilling herself, she spoke. 

“Please do not ever, and I do mean ever, ask what my husband says about my body or career choices. What I do with my body is my choice, especially at work.” Not that it was any of their business, she and Patrick had briefly discussed this last night. He told her that he trusted that she would make the right choice regarding her time in the field. 

“I just figure he had something to say about his wife and kid being in the field. But I’m sure it won’t be long before he has you make the full transition to prissy housewife. Maybe he’ll even get you on one of those tv shows.”

“You know what? Why don’t you worry about your own wife? And while you’re at it, go fuck yourself!” She heard Annie try to stifle a giggle as she turned back toward Minelli whose mouth was agape. “What about Madeleine Hightower?”

Haffner, who had been snickering, stopped abruptly at the mention of Hightower. “Isn’t she out of San Francisco?”

She shrugged. “She might do it. She would be a great fit for our team.”

He leaned forward. “Isn’t the reason she’s out of San Francisco because of a run in with...a colleague here?”

She laughed as she remembered that day. Haffner was being Haffner, and well, Madeleine didn’t exactly have a “grin and bear it” approach to life.

He sighed. “I’d prefer that my agents get along and at least act professionally.”

“Well, exactly how much harassment and pregnancy discrimination should I sit here and take before I talk to HR?”

Minelli put his hands up in surrender. “Do you think she’s open to it?”

“I’m sure she’s in if she’s not working on anything pressing.” And with a quick rundown of the situation with Bosco and Haffner, Madeleine volunteered for a temporary transfer.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

With preparations for the new house and getting settled, four days flew by quickly. New Year’s Eve came much quicker than she expected. Citing the tradition that a man shouldn’t see his bride the night before the wedding, Patrick chose to stay at the old house last night.

Madeleine and Mimi were at her front door at 8am sharp. They planned for breakfast before getting ready for the day, so she got to work making pancakes, bacon, and eggs. She briefly wondered how her appetite grew so quickly. After finishing their food, the girls were off to play in Annie’s new room. 

After breakfast, she showed Madeleine around the new house, showing her their living space and the room next their master bedroom suite that they intended to convert into a nursery. 

“Teresa, this house is insanely gorgeous.”

“Thanks. I mostly liked how spacious the kitchen was, but...do you think it’s a bit much?”

Madeleine scoffed. “No! It’s your home. Though, I did notice you have lots of extra bedrooms.” She winked at her.

Teresa laughed. “Space is nice.”

“Especially when you’re planning for a big family.”

“We’ve not really discussed how big of a family we want, but it would seem Patrick has a ‘the more the merrier’ mentality with kids. I just want to see how this one goes first.”

“I think that’s the right approach.” Both women laughed at that.

Teresa found herself staring out the kitchen window into the backyard. “You know, I never thought this would happen.”

“What?”

“Finding Patrick. He’s the love of my life. I don’t know what I did to deserve him, or any of this!” As she motioned around her new home, she felt a few tears escape her eyes.

“Oh honey!” Madeleine grasped her shoulders and pulled her into an embrace. “I am so glad that you found the love you deserve.”

“I’m happy, but I’m so scared. What if I’m terrible at being a wife and mother? What if I let them down?”

“You won’t be. You’ve been taking care of people your entire life. Besides, look at how happy Annie is. With how quickly you moved in that situation, and the kind of relationship you have with Patrick, I have a feeling you’re going to be alright.”

They stood like that for a few more minutes. As a wave of hunger washed over her again, her tears subsided. “Thanks, Madeleine. Do you want a muffin? Oh! And maybe some strawberries with yogurt? The strawberries are fresh!”

With a smile on her face, the other woman politely declined. Not long after her mid morning snack, the hairstylist arrived—and her day was a flurry from there. They made sure the girls were dressed and ready, which was a much easier process than she thought. She hadn’t anticipated they would see this as a game of dress up and want to take part. Patrick hired a couple of guys from the dealership to direct their guests and there was a small catering operation. When they arrived, Madeleine disappeared for a few to get them going.

As showtime drew near, she stepped into the strapless cream colored gown that hugged her tight as it flowed to the ground. Stepping into her high heeled sandals, she felt like she had basically left her body. Her stomach roiled as her hands grew shaky. She hoped she wouldn’t fall--or worst, vomit--walking down the aisle.

A short time later, one of the men Patrick hired knocked on her door to let her know it was time. She grabbed Madeleine’s hand.

“When I moved here, I basically created a whole new life for myself. You’re one of my oldest friends in this new life. I know I asked you to stand up for me, but do you mind walking me down the aisle? I don’t have anyone to do it, and I didn’t think I needed anyone to do it, but honestly, I’m so damn nervous right now. I’m afraid I might embarrass myself.” Both women laughed.

“Of course, I’ll walk you down. You’re not going to fall on my watch. Besides, I have a feeling that all will be right with the world when you see him.”

Madeleine smoothed down her lavender dress and grabbed her own bouquet of flowers before extending her arm for Teresa. As they approached the aisle, Madeleine stepped out front and motioned to the DJ. He started playing the bride’s song. On cue and with a gentle tug from Madeleine, they began their walk.

He smiled as he focused on her walking down the aisle, but on her approach, there was that tender, intimate look in his blue eyes again. Madeleine was right. When she saw him, the temporary wave of nervousness left her. She wanted to spend her life with this man with kind blue eyes who she’d spent nearly the last year with, the man who wanted to have a family with her, the man she wanted to have a family with. 

As she reached him, Madeleine kissed her cheek before stepping to her side. He took her hand as the officiant began the ceremony. Within 15 minutes, they took the kiss to pledge their love and souls to one another.

As they turned to face their rather small audience for the first time as husband and wife, he whispered in her ear. “Wife, you look rather stunning in that dress. I can’t wait to peel you out of it later.” He gave her a quick, chaste kiss on the lips. 

“You’re not so bad yourself, husband.” He smiled at her. 

“Thank you for not running away like Julia Roberts in that movie. I’m not sure what I would have done.”

She laughed. “I was never going to run away.” 

“Oh? Then, what was the last minute change with Madeleine?”

“Congratulations. You picked up on my sudden onset of nerves, but I would never run away from you. Besides, you’re stuck with me now.”

“It’s really more of an honor than an obligation.” He winked at her. “Should we go greet our guests?”

Clasping their hands together, they walked down the aisle as Mr. and Mrs. Patrick and Teresa Jane.


	13. Girls Like You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A final perspective from Patrick...read the author's notes!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!! Sorry for the delay, but major shoutout/props to nitro9 who helped me get back on track! Thanks for reading and reviewing. For this one, CONTENT WARNING FOR MENTIONS OF HOMOPHOBIA.
> 
> Also, this is the final chapter for now...which is explained at the end!

After saying hello to their few guests, the photographer grabbed a few photos of them. Teresa raised doubts about using a professional photographer for such a small event on such a short notice. Of course, with the proper enticement (twice her normal rates), the photographer happily agreed to shoot their wedding as well as some portraits.

“Honey, the wedding turned out great.” Teresa smiled at him coyly as she slid one of the small sandwiches in her mouth. She made it very clear after their photos that she was ready to eat. While it had never been a good idea to stand between Teresa and her food, it was an even worse idea now. 

They were seated at the “head table,” surrounded by their few guests. They had arranged the tables in their yard into a square shape so that they faced their guests and it seemed a bit more like a banquet, with a makeshift dance floor in the center. He appreciated the intimate nature of being surrounded by family and friends that came to celebrate them making their family whole.

“Watching as my beautiful bride gave me the privilege to love and cherish her for the rest of time definitely made for a great wedding.”

She squeezed his hand as he kissed the side of her head. “I was a little worried about pulling it off in a week’s time.”

He felt a little twinge of guilt. They married so quickly that her Uncle Evan, who she had thought might walk her down the aisle, could not attend because he and his partner, Jason, were out of town for the holidays. After making Teresa hand him the phone and issuing a series of stern warnings and thinly veiled threats, he was satisfied and promised to visit them at the new house when they returned in mid-January. “Oh, I wasn’t. All we had to do was get the officiant and two witnesses here, and boom! Married!” 

She laughed out loud at that, drawing the attention of their guests. “Sorry, guys. Apparently, my husband is a comedian!”

His heart beat faster at hearing her call him “husband.” He loved the way it sounded when she said that. “Just doing what I can to keep my wife laughing.”

“Daddy Patrick?” He looked to his side, noticing Annie in her puffy dress. She looked absolutely adorable, and he was glad they grabbed those family snapshots earlier. He couldn’t wait to take their family photo to the office.

“What is it, sweetie?”

“When are we going to have cake?”

“Just as soon as you eat some of those veggies on your plate.” She frowned as he pinched her little cheek.

“You said it was a day of celebrating, so why do I have to eat vegetables?”

He nodded his head and scrunched his nose, like he was contemplating a serious answer to her question. “Because we have to eat vegetables every day.” He leaned into her side for dramatic effect. “We don’t want to make her upset by not eating our veggies.”

“Hey!” Teresa, hearing his remark, nudged his arm. “Annie, we eat our veggies every day. It’s how you grow healthy and strong. Eat some of your carrots please, and then, we will cut the cake. And you too!”

Annie looked to him once more with pleading eyes, but he shrugged. Teresa was the healthy eating enforcer of their household. The same rules that applied to Annie’s vegetables, applied to him.

“I’ll race you to finish your carrots?”

“Deal!”

They both started shoveling carrots in their mouth nearly as quickly as they could finish them. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Teresa motioning to Madeleine--who was almost immediately in his eyeline, snapping a photo of their carrot eating contest. Their few guests laughed as they gnawed on their carrots, and even saw Wayne pick up a carrot stick in solidarity. To outsiders, they must have looked crazy. But here, amongst their closest friends--and with Annie’s enthusiasm to get this carrot eating business done--it didn’t matter.

“Well, now that my husband and Annie have finished this afternoon’s entertainment, I think it’s time that we cut the cake.” 

After cake, they shared their first dance. As “More Than Words,” the song they first danced to in their kitchen began, he led her to the dance floor. As he held her in his arms, dancing to this song, he couldn’t think of anything beyond those beautiful emerald eyes looking directly into his own. This extremely fierce, independent woman with the biggest heart he’d ever known upended his life. She took a chance on him and let him in, giving a huge part of herself to him in the process. Now, they were a family. Seeing the joy etched in her face, he couldn’t be happier. He had no idea what he’d ever done to deserve the woman in his arms, but he was glad he did it. 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It didn’t take long for the guests to start trickling out. After all, it was New Year’s Eve. People had places to go. After paying the crew, they also took off with Madeleine staying back with the crew to make sure everything was put away. He made note of making sure to send her a thank you gift.

He rented a small cottage out at Ross Cove Beach for the three of them. Although Madeleine offered to keep Annie for a few days while they went off for a honeymoon, neither of them really wanted to take off without her. Her adoption wasn’t finalized yet, and they didn’t know if she was ready for overnight experiences yet. She still had some anxiety from her parents leaving her, so for now, it was best that they stay together. Besides, they were a family now; families took vacations together. In any case, Annie was excited that they were finally making good on their promise to go to the beach.

Of course, they did go to see the ocean once. About a month after Annie arrived, they went out to San Francisco. He and Annie got to meet Uncle Evan for the first time as they went out to the Golden Gate Bridge Park together.

“Patrick, it’s nice to finally meet you. We’ve heard so much about you!” The older man also shared Annie’s and Teresa’s green eyes. 

“Likewise, I hear you’re the reason that Teresa was in my neck of the woods in the first place.”

“Ah! A bar? Definitely.” He nodded as Jason, who must have been about 10 years his junior, laughed a bit. “Well, San Francisco is a rather magical place. When Reese told me she wanted to come out, I could only oblige her. I’m glad she did. I love having family nearby, especially Annabeth’s girl.” With a slightly pained expression on his face, Evan tugged on Teresa’s jaw a bit as she held his wrist.

As he learned more about Evan, he understood. Teresa told him that he came out to San Francisco as a young man because there was no place for him in Chicago. On that alone, she must have related to him quite a bit. However, Evan was gay and their family, as a whole, rejected him and basically pretended he no longer existed. Her mother was the only one who kept in contact with her younger brother. When she died, no one even bothered to tell him. It was when a new postcard arrived a few months after she died that Teresa realized he didn’t know, so she wrote her uncle and sent him a clipping of the obituary. He wrote back, sending his condolences and wanting to know how she was doing. She wrote him back, and they continued to correspond--those postcards now arriving in Teresa’s name.

What he remembered most vividly about Teresa telling him that story was gathering her in his arms after. Of course, she gained a relationship with her uncle, but the image of a 12 year old picking up a pen to write that letter was something that showed exactly the type of woman young Reese Lisbon would grow up to be: loving and brave even when it hurt.

“Annabeth? Like me?”

Evan smiled at Annie. “Of course. My Annabeth was your grandmom.”

“Oh, but she went to heaven before I was born.”

Teresa downcast her eyes with a tremble in her voice. “Didn’t your daddy ever tell you about her?”

“Not really. He just said she went to heaven.”

“That’s right, Annie.” She stroked the little girl’s hair.

“What was she like?”

Teresa and Evan set in telling stories about her mother as they worked through the picnic lunch Teresa packed. They’d known her best at different points in her life: Evan as her brother who she got out of trouble more than a time or two and Teresa as her daughter whose hair she would braid so she could go play hockey. It was always most interesting how the living remembered the dead; that showed the true purpose of one’s life. When he died, he hoped his family remembered him the way Evan and Teresa remembered Annabeth.

Evan and Jason, who ran a floral business, were genuinely interested in getting to know both him and Annie. They knew about Annie because Teresa kept them informed, but he was new. In the way of uncles, perhaps, they wanted to make sure he was good enough to be around their nieces. His own sense of doubt creeped up on him when Teresa pulled out a pan of bread pudding. He suddenly wondered how early she got up to accomplish putting together this meal after having a rather long week at work. 

“Oh my! I cannot believe you made this, Reese. You still remember it’s my favorite!”

“How could I forget, Uncle Evan?” He took a bit of the bread pudding and smiled.

“It tastes just like when Annabeth would make it. You know, she’d be so proud of you, honey.”

Tears pooled in Teresa’s eyes as she nodded her head, remaining quiet. Evan also teared up. He took Teresa’s hand and squeezed it. He had his own abandonment issues, but at least her mom had no choice in the matter. She became the woman of the house at 12, and she took on the responsibility of raising her brothers and taking care of her father. Of course, her uncle knew that. When that 12 year old picked up the pen to write to an uncle that her mother had only ever talked about in secret, they bonded over the loss of the one they felt loved them most. They sat silently as they worked through dessert. 

After finishing their dessert, they went to the overlook. Annie was overjoyed. “Oh my God!! This is so cool!!”

They walked up and got some photos while telling her about the bridge. Her little green eyes were so full of happiness and wonder that it made his chest tight. He loved seeing Annie happy, but it also reminded him of their first date when Teresa first told him about that postcard. He wondered if that was the kind of excitement she held in her eyes looking at that postcard her uncle sent her all of those years ago. 

That was a great day and a great memory for them. Now, he called these two Lisbon girls his. He didn’t have much faith in God or anything like that, but he would pray that their next child and any that came after never knew the kind of pain that the three of them shared. Only love. That was the kind of life that he and Teresa were committed to building together. 

xxxxxxxxxxx

On their way out to Ross Cove for their short family vacation, Teresa told them about all the different places near the beach she’d been for work. 

“How come you get to go to all of those fun places, but when I go to work with you we just sit in your boring office?”

He giggled a bit as she nudged his arm. Surely, it would’ve been more than a nudge if he hadn’t been the one driving. 

“Because when I go to those different places, it’s not really for fun reasons. It’s usually sad and not a place a little girl should be.” She grimaced a bit. “Well, girls can be there.” Ah! There it was. “It’s just not a place for a five year old. When you’re a little older, you will understand.”

“I won’t be five forever.” Teresa turned in the passenger seat to glare at her. 

“Annabeth! We’ve talked about you smarting off like that.”

“Sorry.” Annie shrugged and got back into her iPad. Without a doubt, she was coming into her own form of Lisbon attitude. There was no telling what would happen when the one with a mix of the Jane and Lisbon attitude made their way into the world.

They arrived at their rental not long before sunset. Still, they had enough time for him to throw down a blanket. As he held Teresa and Annie snuggled in between them holding their snacks, they watched the sunset together. Annie was bummed when he broke the news to her that she would have to wait until tomorrow for more serious beach time--BUT he promised her the best sandcastle she’d ever seen. She was easily appeased when he mentioned ordering pizza for dinner as soon as they were back inside, earning him a frown from Teresa.

“Just a salad for me, please. You know, I wish you had said something at home. I would have packed the stuff to make a pizza. Or if you want to wait a bit, we can run up to the store we passed and get the ingredients.”

He waved his hand before placing his arms around her waist and bringing her close to him. “We are on vacation. You are not spending our wedding night in the kitchen making dinner. In fact, I am going to be doing more to do my part in the kitchen. Maybe you can give me a few cooking lessons.”

She shook her head vigorously, indicating she was ready to argue her case. “We have to eat, and it’s not that hard to make. There is no sense in feeding my family shitty food. And you want to learn to cook?”

“That’s not the point. And yes, I need to be better at doing my part.”

She raised her eyebrows before she smiled. “That’s sweet! If you really want to learn, we can work on it when we get home, but I am perfectly fine cooking for my family.”

He scrunched his nose. “I don’t want to end up like one of those man-babies you read about online who can’t figure out how to run a washing machine while his wife goes to work, has babies, and does all the other heavy lifting.”

She laughed at that. “Patrick, I would never think that of you. You do your part. I still don’t mind.”

“Because it’s what your mom did.” 

She glanced down briefly before answering softly. “Yeah, she did.”

He cupped her cheek with his hand. “For what it’s worth, I think your uncle was right. She would be proud of her daughter for all of the amazing things she does including the way she loves those around her and creates beauty in what can be such a cruel world sometimes. Not everyone has that ability.”

“That’s nice, but I know you’re contractually obligated to say nice things to me now.” She was clearly using humor to lighten the moment. He respected it. Talking about the past could be painful, and that’s why it was best to keep looking toward their future.

“Really? I didn’t read that part!” She snorted. “Let’s order in. If you’re not in the mood for pizza, what sounds good? I know damn well it’s not salad.”

“You know how I feel about this terrible excuse for pizza.”

“We’ve not had the pizza here before, so how do you know it’s terrible?” She just glared at him. “Right. So let’s see what our options are?”

Ultimately, they ended up ordering from a local diner. He didn’t want Teresa and the baby to starve. After dinner, they watched a bit of tv. Annie tried her best to hang in until midnight, but even though she wouldn’t be five forever, she was still five today. He carried her to her bed before returning to Teresa out on the sofa. He sat down, pulling her into his side.

She grinned at him, but he wasn’t entirely sure why. “What?”

“Just thinking about how this time last year I couldn’t even imagine this in my wildest dreams.” Her smile fell a bit. “Do you think we did this too fast? It hasn’t even been a year. Not even a year ago, you told me marriage was a terrible experience and not to ever do it.”

Now, it was his turn to grin at her. “I did, but didn’t you tell me that wasn’t true if it was with the right person? I met the right woman that same night. I know I’m with the woman who makes me happier than I have ever been. Are you ok? It’s a little late for cold feet.”

She giggled before kissing him. “I’m fine. It’s just that sometimes it hits me how I found this perfect guy and it feels like it’s been forever and also no time at all.”

“At least you think I’m perfect! I should record that for proof later on.”

“Ok, now, you’re just teasing me.”

“Just a bit. A man has to tease his wife every now and then.” She yawned as she placed her hand over her belly. She’d started doing that--touching their baby--unconsciously. “Ouch. Am I already boring you?”

“No, it’s just been a very long day! Aren’t you tired? I think we might have to choose between our marital duties and staying up until midnight. I’m not entirely sure I will make it through both.”

He tucked a stray hair behind her ears. “That’s up to you. I’m more than happy with ringing in the new year however my beautiful bride chooses. No matter what, it will be our best year yet because we are together. They will only get better from here.”

She flashed her teeth in a wicked grin. “In that case, I’d like to go to bed with my husband.” And with that, he scooped her up into his arms. “You know, you’ll have to stop doing that. You won’t be able to lift me when I get heavier. I don’t want you putting your back out trying to play a noble knight or whatever.”

“I don’t care how heavy you get, there’s no way I’m ever giving this up. Though, I guess you have finally made the case for me to go to the gym more frequently, so your healthy living agenda is winning.” She giggled as he kissed her lips with a smile on his face before starting the trek toward their bed for the evening.

He wouldn’t dwell on it, not on their wedding night, but she was right. He was at his most hopeless--helpless even--when he met her, feeling lonely and unlovable in a cold, miserable world. But then, she showed him how beautiful and blessedly complicated life could be--and he loved nothing more than creating and sharing this one with her. Tonight, he was going to celebrate that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's all (for now), folks!! I was a little overwhelmed to the responses to this story. When I started writing this story in September, I published it as a one shot before being convinced to expand it. I didn't have a real storyboard when I got going other than some Maroon 5 songs I wanted to use. I certainly had no intention of universe building in what was meant to be a birthday gift for my friend & frequent collaborator, MissFlashBrightside. 
> 
> With that said, I'm cutting this part of the story here because this story has progressed far beyond Maroon 5 songs. I will be creating another song-inspired, multi-chapter story in this universe that will be titled "That's My Man." So if you're wondering why I introduced Uncle Evan and Uncle Jason in the very last chapter, there's your answer! I will start posting that in the next few months or so. Life is a little crazy now, and I have a few stories that I'm working on, but be patient please! There's more story to tell in this universe. Again, thanks so much for reading and providing your insight!


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